New to incubating. Need help.

[wildforrabbits]

Okay, I'm not going to lie, I'm going to ask alot of stupid questions here. I'm going to be hopefully hatching button quail eggs. I've never used an incubator before, I've raised chickens for years, but never used a bator and this is my first attempt at breeding button quail. And I only have 1 incubator. Its a little giant forced air with egg turner.

I've done a ton of research but here are some things I couldn't find answers for.

my first stupid question is:
Say I collect the eggs I want to hatch for 1 week, (meanwhile getting the incubator on and ready), and get the eggs in the bator and everything set up, etc. And my BQ lay more eggs after I get everything all started. Can I add more eggs to the already started ones (marking them of course)?? Or would I have to scrap the new eggs? (my buttons won't sit on them, tried a million times to let them do they're thing, that's why I'm using an incubator).

I'm sure I will have more stupid questions, but that's it for right now.
Thanks everyone!

 

[citychickers]

Welcome to BYC!

I don't think there is such a thing as a stupid question with all of these very patient BYCers.
These people are awesome, helpful and thoughtful.

I don't think it would be harmful to add additional eggs....like you said, just keep track of them and know what day they're on!

If I'm wrong about this, I'm sure that someone will correct me....Welcome!

 

[lockedhearts]

Quote:
It will be much easier to stagger hatches if you have a seperate hatcher. I use a Still air bator to hatch in. I stagger hatches all the time. Oh and a Calendar and markers will be your best friends. I sometimes have 2-4 staggered hatches going (Yeah, I'm nuts) so I use different color sharpies for each time I set, stops confusion, unless I don't look at my calendar good enough......

 

[wildforrabbits]

Thanks! I'm not worried about it being easy lol, just wanted to know if it was okay to do.

 

[UrbanMama]

The big problem w/ staggering hatches is that the eggs that are about to hatch need a higher humidity....and the ones that aren't at the same stage (the 2nd setting of eggs) could actually drown from it being too humid. Check out MissPrissy's homemade 'bator, it looks like an easy (and less expensive) way to get a second 'bator to use as a hatcher!

 

[shelleyb1969]

I do the same as lockedhearts. I just hatched some Delawares 2 days ago, and I've got 4 more batches staggered in the incubator. I have one incubator (an old reliable Brower) and 1 still air Hovabator that I use as my hatcher. I just move the eggs from the bator to the hatcher when it's hatch time. Works great. I tried to make one of MissPrissy's bators, but I couldn't get my temp fluctuation minimized. I tried both the water heater thermostat and a dimmer switch. I finally gave up and bought the Hovabator.

 

[tfpets]

Yeah, you can keep adding more indefinitely if you have a separate hatcher for the last three days, and keep track of those eggs.........

Eggs on day 18 (on a 21 day cycle) go into the hatcher incubator with the increased humidity....then as or after they hatch, you take em out and put em in a brooder!! You just keep putting the next batch of day 18 eggs into the hatcher til your done!

You can get a second hatcher incubator at someplace like TSC for $45, dont need a turner or anything...the biggest worry, like I had, is that temperature fluctuation/controls on the LG are harder to manage! But if you can get temps stable on that, Get one and do a separate hatcher, and stagger all you want.

Otherwise, if you only have one incubator, and are not "Dry Incubating" you should not add eggs at different times.

Tina

 

[GEORGE]

I AM NOT SAYING ANY ONE IS WRONG BUT I DO STAGER MY EGGS AND HAVE NO PROBLEMS THE BEST THING TO DO IS FIND THE WAY THAT IS BEST FOR YOU, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL TELLN YOU NOT TO DO THIS BUT I DO IT AND HAVE NO PROBLEMS I HOLD SOME OF MY EGGS FOR 10 DAYS BEFORE I SET THEM AND I HAVE A GOOD HATCH RATE ... I JUST PUT THEM POINT SIDE DOWN IN AN EGG CARTON AND MARK THEM THEN JUST PUT THEM IN.. YES I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T AGREE BUT IT IS FINDING WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!!!!
GOOD LUCK