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I am not Bhep or HT, but I will chime in. It would be best to pull the eggs due in 2 weeks and put them in the bator. The mother needs to break from broody mode and start mother mode. She needs to come off to care for the little ones. Either that or, if the hen will stay broody, pull the current chicks and put them in a broody and let the hen go another 2 weeks for her babies.
If she only wants to have 1 brooder, then leave the current chicks with the mother and move the eggs in. The 2 and 3 weeks will be able to be brooded together. While the 2 week eggs are hatching it would be best to have another incubator or another broody to put 3 week eggs. If using the same incubator she will need to figure a way to put in a seperator for the hatch, if it is a stryo or other small bator. Think simple, don't get complicated. Alot of folks over think these things and make it more complicated then needed. That way the hatching chicks don't get all over the not due eggs. Also she will need to hand turn the 3 weekers for that time. Once the 2 weekers are done, remove the 3 week eggs and clean the bottom of the bator. You have a good hour without any worries, just like a hen coming off. Then put the 3 weeks back in for their remaining time and go as normal.
Before she asks, the higher humidity for the first hatch shouldn't really hurt the eggs. If worried about then after that hatch run the bator dry for a couple days to composate.
Matt
I am not Bhep or HT, but I will chime in. It would be best to pull the eggs due in 2 weeks and put them in the bator. The mother needs to break from broody mode and start mother mode. She needs to come off to care for the little ones. Either that or, if the hen will stay broody, pull the current chicks and put them in a broody and let the hen go another 2 weeks for her babies.
If she only wants to have 1 brooder, then leave the current chicks with the mother and move the eggs in. The 2 and 3 weeks will be able to be brooded together. While the 2 week eggs are hatching it would be best to have another incubator or another broody to put 3 week eggs. If using the same incubator she will need to figure a way to put in a seperator for the hatch, if it is a stryo or other small bator. Think simple, don't get complicated. Alot of folks over think these things and make it more complicated then needed. That way the hatching chicks don't get all over the not due eggs. Also she will need to hand turn the 3 weekers for that time. Once the 2 weekers are done, remove the 3 week eggs and clean the bottom of the bator. You have a good hour without any worries, just like a hen coming off. Then put the 3 weeks back in for their remaining time and go as normal.
Before she asks, the higher humidity for the first hatch shouldn't really hurt the eggs. If worried about then after that hatch run the bator dry for a couple days to composate.
Matt
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