mixing different egg ages in incubator? help!?

[LindsayB]

I have a big problem...I have 8 coturnix eggs on day 12 in the incubator right now and I just received more in the mail...they came from strombergs and weren't supposed to be here until mid February!!! I don't think its good to start eggs while others are almost on lockdown...correct? Should I just buy a second incubator for these?

 

[LindsayB]

To make things worse I ordered 24... and only 12 aren't crack. half of the box was oozing..yuck. I think I'll go ahead and get another incubator. Get it set up tonight and put the eggs in tomorrow.

 

[AmericanMom]

Have you contacted Stromergs to see why they were 3 weeks early and that they were damaged so badly.. Most companies will make it right.

 

[AmericanMom]

And your right, with only one incubator you do not want to add eggs to hatch this late in the game...You could add them now and then separate them into two incubators during lockdown tho.

 

[dheltzel]

You are fine to mix them at this point. The only issue might be if you have an autoturner, it makes it hard to take some out of the turner for lockdown while letting the others still get turned. Depends on the type of incubator. Sometimes you can remove some of the rails for the hatching ones. Or, you can just let then hatch on the turner. That's not optimal and it's possible some could get hurt in the mechanism if they do hatch.

If you but a second incubator, it doesn't need a turner, use it as a hatcher and put the eggs in there for the last 3 days only.

Or, wait a day, then pull out the turner and put all the eggs in without the turner. The new eggs don't need turning the first 3 days. Just mark which ones are which, remember the chicks may move them around.

 

[AmericanMom]

You are fine to mix them at this point.

Ok, that's new... She is on day 12, day 13 when she adds the new eggs... That means the new eggs will be in incubation for 8 days when she jacks up the humidity to go into lockdown on the original 8 eggs....

 

[LindsayB]

Lockdown for coturnix is usually on day 14. So I think it may be best to buy a second on to start them in. This sucks...lol...I had everything planned out. Oh well. I'll just see if I can get these to develop

 

[AmericanMom]

Lockdown for coturnix is usually on day 14. So I think it may be best to buy a second on to start them in. This sucks...lol...I had everything planned out. Oh well. I'll just see if I can get these to develop

Did you call the company?

 

[LindsayB]

These aren't even worth opening...

 

[LindsayB]

They will definitely be hearing from me tomorrow...I'm not one to complain but this really makes me upset.