I May Have Trouble

[Darlagips]

A friend brought me two peahen eggs around the 4th of July to incubate. Two days later, she calls to say she had two more. 4 days later, I picked up two more that she had laid, and just today, I got 2 more. Snakes have been bad this year, and her first two eggs were eaten before she finished a clutch. Brilliant person that I am, I didn't stop to think that there might be more eggs, so I put these all into the incubator at separate times. I'm gonna be having hatches (if they hatch) about every 4 or 5 days, three times.

I guess when comes time for lockdown, I'll transfer the ones that are ready into the Little Giant, boost up the humidity and then go from there. Is this what you would do if you were me? I'm new at this - just hatched out my first batch of chicks this last month - and I thought it would be pretty cool to hatch a peachick. I just didn't plan on having 8 in the incubator hatching at different times. My friend didn't have an incubator and didn't want the snakes to keep eating the eggs either. We've decided that if she lays any more, we will let her see if she can protect them until they hatch.

 

[sourland]

Using the Little Giant as a hatcher sounds like a game plan. Be sure to run it and stabilize temp and humidity prior to making the switch. Good luck.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I just did 3 staggered hatches -- exactly what you said - moved the eggs into the hatcher & left the rest in the bator. Be sure & mark your eggs so you know which ones are hatching at what time. Good luck!

 

[AugeredIn]

I tried hatching peafowl eggs again with the pointed tips down as opposed to laying on their sides this year. I had a group of ten eggs that I should have moved to the hatching tray in the incubator. I only moved five. Four of the five eggs hatched while still turning in the turning trays with the tips down. The fifth was a half developed dud that would not have hatched anywhere. The same Sunday night I failed to move 12 lavender orp eggs from bargain. Seven of them hatched in the turner trays before I realized what I had done. I was lucky none were killed in the turning motion.

And.. my hatch rate for incubating tips down was one bird better than laying on their sides.

I would not try this if I were you, but it is an option if you have the slow continuous turner.

 

[Darlagips]

I have a Brinsea Octagon 20 with the automatic turner. I had so much trouble keeping the LG temp and humidity consistent while hatching my chicks, that I went to this. So far it has been sooooo much easier. Guess I'll see how it works out.

Thanks for your replies.

Darla

 

[Kedreeva]

I have done staggered hatches before just fine in my hovabator, and I have the auto turner. What I end up doing is removing 1/2 the racks, and putting the ones that are about to hatch on the floor. No one's ever gotten stuck in the turner or anything, it moves so slow. Just in case you don't want to mess around getting the LG working.