INCUBATOR ISSUE WHAT DO I DO!!??

[FunClucks]

Here was my solution to a staggered hatch for my first incubation. Basically when you have a staggered hatch the best thing to do is have two incubators - one you have at Day 1-17 conditions and one you hatch them out in at lockdown conditions. You transfer the eggs over to the hatching incubator when they're ready and keep turning the rest of them in the first incubator. I didn't know what I was doing when I set myself up for a staggered hatch - it was hard to manage things. I won't be doing that again on purpose.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ubator-for-rescue-of-a-staggered-hatch.78314/

 

[gimmie birdies]

pointed end down.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have another issue is this egg ok to incubate, it is 9 days old and has been kept at room temp. View attachment 3454916It has wierd freckle bits

The egg is thinner in the "freckled area" I would not call them freckles of course. It is just a thinner egg shell. Also I notice you have a pencil mark on the point, what is that for? I am hoping that is not where your air cell is, it should be on the round end.

That is why we put the egg in point down to keep the air cell at the round end.
If you candle on day 16-18 and see clear on the point, it means it is not ready for lockdown.

 

[Firsttimechicksxxx]

Here was my solution to a staggered hatch for my first incubation. Basically when you have a staggered hatch the best thing to do is have two incubators - one you have at Day 1-17 conditions and one you hatch them out in at lockdown conditions. You transfer the eggs over to the hatching incubator when they're ready and keep turning the rest of them in the first incubator. I didn't know what I was doing when I set myself up for a staggered hatch - it was hard to manage things. I won't be doing that again on purpose.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ubator-for-rescue-of-a-staggered-hatch.78314/

i am afraid i dont have access to two incubators

 

[Firsttimechicksxxx]

The egg is thinner in the "freckled area" I would not call them freckles of course. It is just a thinner egg shell. Also I notice you have a pencil mark on the point, what is that for? I am hoping that is not where your air cell is, it should be on the round end.

it is not a pencil mark i think it is just a piece of dirt or poo. Thank you for your knowledge! should i give them some grit or oyster shell to stop it being so thin?

 

[FunClucks]

i am afraid i dont have access to two incubators

I didn't either so I jury-rigged my own. But if you can't, then I'd do what New Duck Mommy recommended above and hope for the best. Odds are good things will turn out okay.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/incubator-issue-what-do-i-do.1572212/post-26702160

 

[Ridgerunner]

hi, i have put different eggs in an incubator at different times.

Don't do that again without a second incubator. It's too stressful.

some are older and more developed than others. the first egg that i put in is about to be in the lockdown period but the newer eggs still need to be rotated

Chicken eggs don't need to be turned after 14 days in the incubator. Turning is most important early in incubation but all the reasons for that have gone away after a couple of weeks.

i dont know whether i should risk not rotating the fresher eggs or risk the shrinkwrap. when the first egg hatches the second egg will be on locked down and so on so effectively when the first egg goes on lockdown the fresher eggs will not be rotated until all the previous eggs hatch if i want to avoid shrink wrap

All eggs do not shrink wrap whenever you open the incubator during lockdown. The reality is that very few actually do. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that there is no risk because there is some but it is not a high risk. If I have an emergency I will accept that risk and open the incubator. I don't know how long those other eggs have been in there so I don't know if I'd open it or not.

when i next incubate eggs how long will eggs keep if i want to collect all 10 eggs before i put them in the incubator, assuming 1 egg a day? will they last 10 days?

There is no definite answer. Ideal storage conditions are around 55 F (13 C), high humidity (around 80% preferred) and turned regularly. In those conditions eggs can be stored with no drop-off in hatchability for at least two weeks.

Very few of us have conditions that close. The further you are from ideal conditions the faster the eggs can lose hatchability. I store mine in a spare bedroom with temperatures in the 70's F and humidity fairly low due to AC or heat. I mark mine so I know how long they have been stored. I never keep them longer than a week because I don't have to and see no difference in hatching between the fresher eggs or older.

It's not like they all lose hatchability at the same point. Some eggs can hatch after a long time of storage, even if conditions are not ideal. It's just that the longer they are stored the less likely they are to hatch.

If I wanted 10 eggs from one hen I'd store them in the best conditions I can until I had 10 eggs. Then I'd set them. The older eggs may not have as good of a hatch rate as the fresher eggs but they might. You won't know until you try.