Q. re: setting two batches in same incubator?

[Delighted]

I set 44 eggs about 9 days ago, and then got a batch yesterday. I couldn't know when the second batch was coming when I set the first, or I would have waited awhile. I planned on builing a home made bator out of a styrofoam cooler I have, but don't have all the parts-- and buying them will take another week's wait for a paycheck.

The 44 are in a automatic turner (with two that don't have slots), and the new batch is 22. I was thinking take them out of the turner and put them all in the current 'bator and hand turning all of them. Fine and good, except what would I do at lockdown? The 22 would still need turning and yet the 44 need to be in lockdown!. Now, i may have already gotten the home made one goijg by then, but what if I don't?

I incubate yogurt in a cooler and that stays at 100 degrees by keeping a jar of boiling water in there and refreshing it if the temp goes down. But the cooler is very humid and there's no air, so i don't think that would be good for the eggs/chickies inside.

So can I just set these new eggs in with the Day 9 eggs?


Second question is about the humidity. I finally have a hygrometer for this batch. (this is my third hatching-- bad outcome first time, about 75% second hatching) Humidity was reading 60% within the first day (44 eggs), so i took the water out of the water tray, it is now at about 45% is that good? there is NO water in the water trays. This is a still air Hovabator.

Thanks!

 

[kid-n-chickens]

You can hand turn them all but I dont know even if you remove the turner that all 66 eggs will fit in the bator floor. If it was me I would add water until you get it up to around 50-55 I think 45 is on the verge of to low... Like you said though you will have to have a hatcher to move the 44 eggs into on day 18. My first rec would be to candle and weed out the clears and definite quitters to give you a little more room. As far as your incubator that you use for the yougurt. you can put two small holes in the top of the cooler for air flow movement make the holes a little smaller than a penny. Check what the humidity is in the yogurt incubator. If needed just put a little smaller container of water in it for humidity since humidity is controlled by surface area. Although this may affect your temp to. Once your get it all figured out then on day 18 lay the eggs in the bottom of it to hatch. You might consider putting sand in the bottom as this will help hold heat more steady for the eggs. Good luck what ever you decide.

 

[Delighted]

Thank you kid-n-chickens,

I didn't think about them not fitting! LOL! I just figured there'd be more floor space if the turner weren't there. I'll have to see--I'm going to set the new ones tonight. By this age, in candling, I guess i could tell the quitters--the clear ones.

I like the idea of sand in the bottom of the cooler to hold the heat better-- it will hold the eggs from rolling as much, too, since it's a flat bottomed cooler. Between now and lockdown for the first bunch, I'm going to play around with what works--I might even be able to get the rest of the parts to actually build the homemade incubator. The day 9 eggs are now at day 11, so i should get some nice info in candling by now, and the staggering is more like I wanted it-- a week and a half. Someone was selling an incubator on Craigs list last weekend-- with the turner and a still air bator for $70. I didn't have $70 at the time, but I think that sounds like a good price.

 

[Kedreeva]

If your hovabator is anything like my Hovabator, and if your auto turner is anything like my turner ( looks something like this:http://www.surehatch.com/Images/GQF 1588/1614 Goose Turner.jpg) then the solution is REALLY simple. Each row of egg slots is removable. I actually had the same problem when I set my first two groups of eggs 5 days apart. How to let the first ones sit and the others keep turning! Well, I just removed half the racks and let the first batch sit still on lockdown and the others just kept on turning.

Of course, this method only works if you have this sort of turner. I'll cross my fingers that you do!