I put about 10 gamefowl eggs In an incubator, everyday I've been adding about two and the next day two. The problem is that I've heard that people call it lockdown when they turn off the incubator turner at day 18. Can I still have the eggs on day 18 with the turner on maybe even more days until they hatch. Let the other eggs continue to grow unitil day 18Does it really matter wether the turner is off or on. I HAVE A FARM INNOVATOR INCUBATOR. AND IT TURNS THE EGGS SIDE!to side BUT THE EGGS REMAIN VERTICLE BUT AT AN ANGLE. IT'S DOES NOT ROTATE THEM ON THEIR SIDE OR THE MIDDLE OF THE EGG like in a circle like a mini brinsea. HELP THEY WILL BE HATCHING IN two days
Many places have Styrofoam still air incubators on sale and having a 2nd incubator for hatching will help your hatch rate. I have hatched turkeys while they were still on the auto-turner because I didn't know when hatch day was. They did fine but, it is not a good idea and I was lucky. The last 3 days in Lock-down is not just stopping the auto-turner but, also to raise the humidity to make hatching easier for them. They need time with the egg still to get into hatching position. A lot of things need to happen the last three days so, they can have a successful hatch. Here is a Link that will answer questions https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101 Good Luck
You need to take them out of the turner for lockdown to hatch. They can't safely hatch in the turner. Have you out dates on the eggs so you can tell what is what? The other eggs should be okay not being turned while the due ones hatch, just set them back up in the turner or turn by hand until they hatch AFTER your first locked down ones hatch.
You can't hatch them in the turner, especially with other eggs that aren't due yet. On day 18 you also have to raise the humidity, and if you hatch them in the same incubator, the high humidity might mess up your other eggs that aren't supposed to hatch yet. When you have eggs in the incubator due to hatch at different times, it's called a staggered hatch. Usually when people do this, they have two incubators, one for incuabting them and the other to hatch them in. I guess what you can do is take out the turner and raise the humidity no more than to 65%. The eggs that are still incubating, make sure to turn them by hand and the ones that are supposed to hatch, but them on the other side of the incubator and don't turn them. They make a mess when they hatch, so you might want to line the bottom with paper towels or hatch them in egg cartons (not cardboard eggs cartons though, they will mess with humidity). If you need it more humid by the hatching eggs, put a wet sponge near them. If it is getting to humid by the still incubating eggs, a little container with uncooked rice will help lower the humidity.
