Incubation and hatching question

[chantels1]

we had some eggs we wanted to hatch from our hen. We got a rooster about 3 weeks ago. So I collected 4 eggs, and set them in the incubator. My daughter also brought home 5 eggs that day. (July 5th) I set all eggs at the same time, but should have thought to candle the ones she brought home. I assumed they were the same as the horse stalls get cleaned out daily, and that is where the eggs were.

After candling on day 7 & 10, I determined all 4 of our hens eggs were infertile. :-(, but all 5 of the eggs my daughter brought home were developing. 2 seem quite a bit further along in development though... So now I believe 3 are due to hatch on the 24th, but there are two that look several days ahead of that. My best guess says they should hatch this Friday or Saturday the 21st or 22nd. I don't have access to a second incubator/hatcher. So what should I do about the turning? The humidity I am not too worried about. I the air cells look pretty good. I have also been using the egg carton method this hatch. I might put the two that are ahead of schedule in a second egg carton, so they can at least not be turned, and I can still turn the others, but opening the incubator will be bad to continue turning for 2 days... Will it make a difference unless there is external pip? I can see if one is externally pipped, to not open it.

Such a debate going on in my head... Looking for experienced help here.

 

[PD-Riverman]

we had some eggs we wanted to hatch from our hen. We got a rooster about 3 weeks ago. So I collected 4 eggs, and set them in the incubator. My daughter also brought home 5 eggs that day. (July 5th) I set all eggs at the same time, but should have thought to candle the ones she brought home. I assumed they were the same as the horse stalls get cleaned out daily, and that is where the eggs were.

After candling on day 7 & 10, I determined all 4 of our hens eggs were infertile. :-(, but all 5 of the eggs my daughter brought home were developing. 2 seem quite a bit further along in development though... So now I believe 3 are due to hatch on the 24th, but there are two that look several days ahead of that. My best guess says they should hatch this Friday or Saturday the 21st or 22nd. I don't have access to a second incubator/hatcher. So what should I do about the turning? The humidity I am not too worried about. I the air cells look pretty good. I have also been using the egg carton method this hatch. I might put the two that are ahead of schedule in a second egg carton, so they can at least not be turned, and I can still turn the others, but opening the incubator will be bad to continue turning for 2 days... Will it make a difference unless there is external pip? I can see if one is externally pipped, to not open it.

Such a debate going on in my head... Looking for experienced help here.

If the eggs were set at the same time and have the same amount of hatch days(a chicken eggs) then I would not treat them any different. Stop turning at day 18, increase moisture and hatch. The ones that are smaller might not be developing as fast/a problem, but with the 10,000 I have hatched in the last 3 years I have not had chicken eggs to hatch "days" early(a few small bantams a couple days early). Good Luck!

 

[ronott1]

Do what PD- Riverman syas but watch for pips on the eggs that seem to be developing faster. If you see pips, set up the eggs for hatching(lockdown). Stop turning and raise humidity. Either laying them down or in cut down egg cartons is fine for eggs from your flock.

I hope you have a great hatch!

 

[Laodicia]

I just hatched 2 babies. My 2 year old "helped" by putting a few eggs in before I had all of the eggs I wanted to incubate. Day 18 on the second group of eggs was day 20 of the first 2 eggs. Both of the first eggs are hatched and happy. None of the other eggs have pipped so I took the chicks out of my incubator. I stopped turning those 2 eggs on their day 18 and since all aircells looked good I did up the humidity then too. The 15 other eggs are doing alright I think I want their air cells a little smaller so I'm going to take out the wet hand towels (home made incubator) in there and wash them tonight and since they aren't pipped even internally at this point it shouldn't be a problem.