Incubation - Hens hatching and incubation timing

[drink88]

If I have two hens that are laying fertilized eggs, and they lay roughly 5-6 a week, how do I property incubate them using a mechanical incubator when their eggs are spread out over two weeks? I've read through some of the posts, and tried to find someone explaining this online, but haven't come across it yet.

I know you're not supposed to open the incubator while it's going for that 21 days, as it could do some damage to the chicks/eggs...so curious how one is suppose to gather the eggs for the two weeks they are laying fertilized eggs but not mess up eggs you've already started in the process.

Thanks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You wait until you have the number of eggs you want before putting them in the incubator

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

@drink88 is this your first time incubating?

If so this is a good read for before you start ~ GUIDE TO INCUBATION

 

[Ridgerunner]

If I have two hens that are laying fertilized eggs, and they lay roughly 5-6 a week, how do I property incubate them using a mechanical incubator when their eggs are spread out over two weeks? I've read through some of the posts, and tried to find someone explaining this online, but haven't come across it yet.

You store the eggs until you are ready to start incubation, then start them all at them same time. The ideal conditions to store the eggs are around 55 F temperature, high humidity (around 80% humidity), turning them a few times a day, and try to keep things stable. Very few of us have ideal conditions and still do pretty well. The closer you store them to ideal conditions the longer they last. If you can get close to ideal conditions you should easily get two weeks out of them, probably longer.

I don't have ideal conditions. I keep them in the mid-70's F (room temperature) and in fairly low humidity thanks to the heating or air conditioning. I often store them a week and still get great hatches. I don't know how much longer I could go. If I were you I'd store them in the best conditions I could for two weeks and set them. Mark them so you know when they started storage and see how important storage is to you. My guess is not as much as you might think.

Hatch time starts when they go in the incubator, not when they are laid. Some people get confused about that.

I know you're not supposed to open the incubator while it's going for that 21 days, as it could do some damage to the chicks/eggs..

Wrong. There are no problems opening the incubator during the first 18 days of incubation as long as you don't get silly about it. Candle the eggs as much as you want, add water if you need to. It sometimes takes me 15 minutes to candle the eggs and add water. No problems.

During the last three days it is recommended that you don't open the incubator unnecessarily. There is a slight risk you can shrink wrap some eggs if you do. That's where the membrane around the chicks dries up and shrinks around the chick so it can't move or hatch. In reality this very seldom happens but it possibly can so I consider it best practices to not open the incubator during the last three days unless I have a good reason. If I have a good reason, there is something I need to fix inside the incubator, I fix it. Some people open the incubator during this time and never have problems. Others are totally freaked out by the thought of opening it. I consider these to be extremes. Don't open it unless you have a reason. But if you have a reason don't be afraid to open it.

so curious how one is suppose to gather the eggs for the two weeks they are laying fertilized eggs but not mess up eggs you've already started in the process.

Do not start incubation until you are ready to start them all. Nothing to mess up that way.

 

[mcdze]

5-6 a week isnt much to work with .. personally id collect for 7 days and start what you got, hatch them, grow them up, and in a few months youll be getting probably 18 a week .. but i wouldnt stagger incubate until you got your whole system worked out well, including brooding and integrating, id just sequentially incubate another batch, if you really really want to focus that much attention caring for chickys non-stop lol .. its fun, but dont get crazy is all im sayin ..i just collect and put eggs on the laundryroom counter several days, no fuss, let um chill .. but i usually just do 5 days or so, pick and choose the best looking ones .. you could also supplement with some shipped eggs if you want a full bator to start .. but again, staggering, wouldnt do it to start ..i dont like it and im pretty worked out on ny system, but when i'll do it is if im immediately giving a batch to someone .. i would 'not' want to care for a staggered mess of batches .. toi stressful lol ...