Incubating Eggs of different ages

[Irishgirl]

Poor solo didn't make it.

He was the only one of a dozen we bought that was even fertile, so he wouldn't have had any hatch mates anyway.

 

[Roxannemc]

We've had chickens years ago but just started back up with them recently. We have Welsummer and Black/blue copper Marans from excellent, hopefully show quality lines, plus some Easter Eggers for fun, and some up-coming Blue Salmon Faveroles. The kids want to show the Marans and Welsummers.

After hatching our first batch successfully in the incubator, (great experience!) we tried again this last month for a second batch with eggs with different hatch dates. (I know you're not really supposed to do that, but we received fertilized eggs from different sources at different times, and whatcha gonna do?)

I don't know how successful we'll be, but my teenage daughter is the mastermind behind all this, and I'm happy to have her do it as a learning experience. She's been keeping meticulous records of humidity, temperature, and hatch times, so here goes:

Today, 7 Leghorns and 1 Mystery brown egg hatching today (practice for incubator hatching from free eggs from friends.) What can I say, once you begin to hatch them, it's a little addictive, like all things chicken, I believe!

Soon, 4 Mallard Duck eggs hatching on the 23rd, and 6 Silkies hatching on the 24th. (I know, duck eggs have different humidity req's, but they were FREE and the air sacs still look good, so we took the chance to put them in just in case.)

Later, 12 or so more Marans and Faveroles on March 1st.

Our automatic egg turner has a place to remove slots for when they need to stop turning, so we did that, and set up a new brooder for once they begin to pip. (Because once they begin to hatch they release a bacteria bloom into the incubator, so they have to be separate from the other eggs for actual hatching.)

So this is my daughter's deal, and I've let her run with it. She's VERY excited to add pictures, so here are some...



Ta-da!
Here's a description of set-up: (as given by daughter~)
-The orange and black squares are: A old, clean sponge soaked in very hot water for humidity and to help the temperature, and a small plate (for the sponge.)
- A thermometer.
- Layers of newspaper with paper towels on top.
- The bottom half of a old styrofoam cooler, with two sheets of plexiglass on top.
- A 100 watt bulb in a old heat lamp.
- 8 chicken eggs.

The nursery's ready, now just waiting for babies!

INterested in the humidity What was it day 1-18 and then 18-21?what was it in the brooder?did she check it?Temp too Does it have a thermometer in there?
OK
You stop turning 3 days before hatch ( Day 19).... but what about raising the humidity day 18 ?
You dont unitl they go to the brooder thing to pip and that is day 20 21??
Before pip or after?
In the brooder what is the humidiity ? Seems to all have worked really good for you. What brand is your incubator ?
Not questioning what you say...... but where did you hear that the eggs put off a bloom that stops hatch for other eggs? I have never heard that Might very well be true!Worked for you!


think i read more and the quesitions are answered. You dont move them until day 20? And humidity in the regular bator is kept at ?

 

[Irishgirl]

INterested in the humidity What was it day 1-18 and then 18-21?what was it in the brooder?did she check it?Temp too Does it have a thermometer in there?
OK
You stop turning 3 days before hatch ( Day 19).... but what about raising the humidity day 18 ?
You dont unitl they go to the brooder thing to pip and that is day 20 21??
Before pip or after?
In the brooder what is the humidiity ? Seems to all have worked really good for you. What brand is your incubator ?
Not questioning what you say...... but where did you hear that the eggs put off a bloom that stops hatch for other eggs? I have never heard that Might very well be true!Worked for you!


think i read more and the quesitions are answered. You dont move them until day 20? And humidity in the regular bator is kept at ?

I actually don't keep track of the humidity at all. I just try to keep the water slots on my Little Giant 9200 Still Air 'bator full.
You can move the day 19 eggs to the 'bator and increase the humidity at the same time, I just didn't for that hatch.
I don't remember where I heard about the bac bloom, If someone wants to research that, I'd be interested in what you find.
When I move the day 19 eggs, I normally put them on a slightly damp paper towel to help them not be shrink wrapped.

 

[Irishgirl]

I'm expecting the first March batch on the 13th. Grow, little chickies! Grow and hatch for momma!

 

[Irishgirl]

The first 8 eggs just went into lockdown!

 

[Irishgirl]

Woo! We have 5 of 8 pipped and talking to me!

 

[Irishgirl]

Baby pics!

 

[yellowflower]

Congrats!! Too cute! Did you hatch them in your daughters hatcher? I just left my eggs in the incubator, waiting for them to hatch now. All were alive except 3 were questionable. Tomorrow is day 21.

 

[liljunie]

I love this thread...I have a hatching dilemma. I had eggs hatching in my genesis 1588 incubator when my new eggs arrived. My brinsea mini was open and I was afraid to have the eggs sit too long so I put as many as I could (14)in the brinsea mini (paint silkies) on 3/8 and turned by hand for 24 hours until the genesis was freed up. The next day on 3/9 I then set the other 16 that were still cooling and the 14 from the brinsea all in the genesis for a total of 30.

On 3/13 I saw silkie eggs from Hatrick lines on Craigslist. I came home with 18 moreeggs. I filled the open slots in the genesis and the ones that couldn't fit went in the brinsea.

I candled today and 19 out of the first 30 are growing and 16 from the 18. They are all back in the genesis.

Dilemma - 19 need to go into lockdown on the 26th&27th but I will still have 16 eggs that need turning.
Should I make a hatcher or buy a still air incubator for lockdown. I haven't used one and don't want to jeopardize my first group of eggs as the are more valuable to me then the second. Is the humidity and temperature requirements the same for still air?

 

[yellowflower]

This is what I did liljunie....I had eggs I put in over 3 days. Not sure the total. Then a week later I put in a bunch more eggs. I was planning on doing what Irishgirl did and then I had the idea to put the later eggs under my broodies......and then.....I just went with it. LOL

I did the dry method with my eggs, but I kept it lower than normal.. Around 25 to 30% for 19 days. I waited to see the first pip before I raised it. Then I only went to 55 to 60% No higher. After the chicks all hatched. I had a good hatch too. Only three eggs didn't make it. I think they might have stopped right before hatch time. I got 17 chicks out of 20. Then I cleaned the incubator real quick, dried it out and didn't add any water. I candled and all the second hatch eggs were swimming around still but I felt the aircells were a little too big. So I waited the week. Candled again on day 19. Still alive. And the air cells looked GOOD! Yay!! First one piped that night and I had a really good hatch. Out of 16 eggs 14 hatched no problem and one piped the wrong end and the last one must have died in the last couple of days. So it did work for me, not saying it will work for everyone though. These 2 hatches were the best I've had out of maybe 7 or 8 hatches I've had over the last 4 yrs. These were silkies by the way.

Good luck with your hatch!!