New to incubating and auto egg Turner

[Elginchickens]

How y'all guys doing....I been reading all yalls input since January since I got my first barred rock day old chicks (11) abd they also sent me 14 Rhode island red male chicks...but today I finally made an account because I got some questions of my own...so hens are about to be 4 moths old so I got a LG still air incubator 9300 with auto Turner to start some test runs..so I started two eggs two days ago abd then I added six more today...so my question is when those first two go into lockdown abd I increase the humidity to 60% on day 18 will the other six be ok for those three days I have the humidity increased then I'll drop it back down to 40%...the other six will be on day 16 when I increase the humidity...also I'm wondering if the egg Turner will work with some of the rails taken out...since I will have to stop turning the first two on day 18 but the other six will need to keep being turned..

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

For me personally staggered hatching is a no no due to these issues. No matter what you will have to put the humidity up for the eggs in lockdown in order for them to hatch successfully. This then risks the younger eggs not losing enough moisture in their last few days. I would take the whole turner out, hatched chicks can so easily become trapped or injured in the turner. The eggs on day 16 will be ok to not be turned, egg turning is most critical during the first 2 weeks of incubation as the embryo develops it parts. Turning helps them to develop in the correct position. At day 16 the chicks should be pretty much fully formed. You won't need to put your humidity back down as when your first 2 eggs are on day 21 your other 6 will be on day 19 so they need that higher humidity.

Good luck with your eggs, hope you have a good hatch

 

[sonjab314]

I do staggered hatching but I have two bators for that. I incubate in one and hatch in the other. I agree with Yorkshire Coop though. Staggered hatch in the same bator is a no no.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Eggs will be viable to hatch at two weeks old so there's no reason not to collect them until you have the amount you want to set. I store mine in egg cartons fat end up on the kitchen counter.

You'll want to run the incubator dry after the first chicks hatch until time to raise humidity again. Hope you hatch some black sex links.

 

[dheltzel]

I'm sure you've gotten the message the "serious hatchers" never do staggered hatches with only 1 incubator. In your case, I think it will work, and at this point you have no other option. I agree that removing the entire turner is probably the best idea. I have had chicks get caught in the turner when they hatched unexpectedly early (guess my record keeping was a bit sloppy). They survived and if memory serves turned out ok, but it had to be stressful for them and could have not ended as well. It made a mess of the turner too, but not as bad as when that guinea egg exploded

 

[lazy gardener]

If you're hatching from your own PBR pullets, and your RIR rooster, YOU WILL have black sex links. All the girls will be pure black, while the male chicks will have a white spot on the top of their heads. Are you home during the day? If so, this is what I'd do. I'd stop turning those first 2 at day 18, but, I'd hold off on increasing the humidity until there are signs of hatching: eggs rocking, eggs chirping, or the first pip. Be sure to candle before lock down, marking those air cells. Your pips should show up around the place on the egg where the air cell dips closest to the middle of the egg. Place the egg for lock down with that spot facing up. Then, if your incubator allows, you might want to put in a divider to protect the later set eggs from having the early hatchers drag egg goo all over them! It will also help to keep your bacteria load down if you hatch the first ones on a nice layer of paper towels so they won't mess up the bator. Your worst enemy is going to be bacterial contamination of the later eggs, IMO. You only have a 2 day difference, so... your younger egglets may make it to day 19 before you get your first pip on the older ones. If so, you're golden. Also, keep an eye on your air cells. If they get too big, you may need to boost the humidity before day 19 on the first ones. Are you doing a dry incubation? Have you read that thread, and "hatching 101"? Good luck!

 

[Elginchickens]

Thanks for all of your suggestions...sorry I work nights as a emt so I woke up kind of late and just got home from home depot...Yah I knew it was a bad idea to stagger them like that I was just trying to run a test run before I actually start to do my own...and I only came across two at first then I got six more two days later..abd about the dry run,, I have the number 1 reservoir filled only and my humidity is 44%

 

[Elginchickens]

Abd yes when I breed my own there gonna be black sex links...so far I built a 6'Lx4'Wx6'Hcoop and a 20x20 run for the girls I have now then I built a 3'Wx7'Lx3'H two sided rooster pin for my two Rhode island red rosters,,,and in almost finished with my 6'Lx4'Wx6'H brooder box...abd I have my little giant still air incubator 9300 with auto egg Turner inside....once my girls start laying ima start breeding abd raise em up abd sell the hens for laying abd males for meat birds ..plus ima sell fertilized and non fertilized eggs ...baby chicks..

 

[WVduckchick]

So what are the eggs that you set, if they aren't from your flock? Not that it makes any difference, just curious...

 

[Elginchickens]

Thank y'all for yalls help abd yes I know staggering the set dates is bad I just didn't expect to get the other six eggs abd I dnt want to wait 21 days for two eggs...I just want to know if y'all think it's possible that it will still work...I'll do everything y'all said it all sounds pretty reasonable