Lesser of two evils?

[NoVA Chicks]

So, I received new eggs on Friday. I had a clutch already in the incubator (two weeks in) but they weren't doing well so I wasn't too worried about the overlap. Well, one of the original eggs has made it to lockdown. While I'm thrilled, that does leave me with some not so good options. The eggs are all currently in my Little Giant. I built a homemade incubator but haven't been able to get the temps stabilized. I have some more ideas to try, but nothing that is going to happen in the next couple of days to solve this problem. I also have a Chick-bator. One of those plastic bowls with a tiny light bulb and little sheets of tin foil to regulate temperature. So my choice is to either leave the lone egg in the LG and raise the humidity in there--hoping it doesn't hurt the new eggs--or to move my little guy to the Chick-bator.

What makes this really hard is that I just candled the lone little guy and he's definitely moving around in there, but the new eggs are hand-delivered and should have a really good chance of making it. I've not had a lot of luck with shipped eggs (hence the one little indian) so I'd hate to do anything to jeopardize this new hatch.

 

[sian]

Do you know when the new eggs were laid? If it were me, and they are fairly recent, I'd keep them out of the bator a few days and let the little guy hatch.

But I am by no means an expert - I'm only on my second hatch!

 

[PandoraTaylor]

If your hand delivered eggs could handle a 2-3 day wait, i would store them....and give the Lone Ranger his time.
If they will not, store for a few days, then move the lone Ranger..

It really is a personal call.

Good luck with your hatching.

 

[NoVA Chicks]

I placed the new eggs this past Friday (the day I got them) so that ship has sailed, unfortunately. It would have been a 7-9 day wait for them which seemed way too long at the time. Now I'm second guessing myself. But since they've already been in the incubator 4 days, they've started to develop and if I take them out now they'll die--so that's not an option.

I have the old Chick-bator running and stabilized. I may switch my little guy over to it later this morning . . . unless someone chimes in and tells me that 65% humidity won't hurt my other eggs on days 4-9???

 

[chickygirl2]

Your "Lone Ranger" can probably hatch ok at lower humidity levels. My incubator rarely gets above 55 % and they hatch just fine. I do staggered htches all the time.Do you hand turn?

 

[NoVA Chicks]

Yes, I'm hand turning, which means I'll have to open the incubator at least three times a day. I do have it in a cabinet, though, so that will cut down on temp/humidity drop if I leave him in there . . . my last hatch I had a couple of shrink-wrapped chicks that didn't make it, so I'm very concerned about humidity.

 

[NoVA Chicks]

Well, I ended up moving the little guy to the Chick-bator and he's done pretty well so far, I think. Temperature has fluctuated a little bit, but has stayed in the right range. Humidity looks good. Hopefully he'll make it. His new accommodations . . .

 

[Happy Chooks]

Good luck!


I was going to tell you to hatch the little guy in your bra! There was a thread a while back where someone did this in the last day or 2 of incubation.

 

[NoVA Chicks]

Quote:
Hahahaha! Well, I've got room! I knew having one boob smaller than the other would come in handy one day . . .

 

[aalbury]

How do you like that therm/hygrometer? Have you used it much? Do you leave it in there the whole time?