?'s about setting eggs in one incubator with different hatch dates

[Chris Herzog]

Guys,
I’m getting ready to jump in with both feet and set eggs for the first time on Friday. I have a few different eggs coming from different people because I wanted to fill the incubator up….There is a chance however that in doing this I might just end up with a couple of extra eggs because the sellers may or may not send me a few extras. I was thinking that I would set 42 eggs (because that’s what my incubator holds, lol

) and put any extras on the side. In 7 to 10 days candle the eggs that are in the incubator and If one or two look like nothing is happening with them, discard those eggs and replace them with the eggs that I have sitting on the side. Now I know that the hatch date will be different on these eggs going in the incubator late but I guess this is what I’m trying to get at. When I go into lock down for the first set of eggs and increase the humidity to 65 – 70% will doing this with the second set of eggs also in the incubator (the ones that went in late) cause the chicks in the late eggs any harm?

Or should I just pick 42 eggs from the eggs that I have and discard any extras over 42?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[cmom]

Personally I wouldn't do it. I do staggered hatches but I have a cabinet incubator and use my styrofoam incubators as hatchers. If you raise the humidity on the second set of eggs you put in the incubator, when you raise it for the first set of eggs you have the possibility of drowning the second set of eggs. They need to loose so much moisture during the first 18 days when on day 18 when you set the eggs for hatching raise the humidity then. Are you using a turner or turning by hand? This is just my opinion. Others may have a different opinion.

 

[spowell]

I can't answer for a Styrofoam bator, I also have a cabinet bator. I do staggered hatches in my bator.... I usually have at least 2 separate batches going at one time. I bump the humidity up to 65-70% for lockdown. After the hatch, I let the bator dry down for a day or two then back to around 40%. I just monitor the weight loss very close and make humidity adjustments during regular incubation for a weight loss of 15%. It has worked pretty good for me so far.

Maybe someone who does this with a Styrofoam bator will chime in with more info.....
Good luck

 

[JD4570]

What make and model of bator do you have? It sounds like you are going to use a turner. If you get only 42 and using a turner load it. If it more than 42 you'll have to possibly double stack and turn the eggs by hand the first 5 to 7 days, candle then discard the duds and then you can load the turner. I've done this myself and for my second hatch I got a second bator!

Good luck and happy hatching.

 

[Chris Herzog]

Quote:
I have a Hova-Bator 1588 with a turner.

So if I’m understanding correctly what your saying is you loader the turner with 42 eggs then stacked any extra eggs inside the incubator anywhere you could fit them. Then you just hand turned those eggs until a spot became available in the auto turner? Is this correct? If so that's an idea I didn't think about doing.

I was also thinking that plan B would be to just hold any extra eggs until I was finished with the first hatch then set the extra eggs by themselves for a second hatch. In doing that I realize that my chances of hatching any of them go way down but I was thinking it would be better then throwing them away.

As I'm typing this I'm thinking of another way. I could do like I was first talking about doing...hold any extras on the side until day 7-10 and then set them if I have any openings. Then just before I go into lockdown for the first batch either make an incubator or buy a cheep still air one to put the second set of eggs in. Then after I'm finished with the first hatch (the lock down portion) I can finish the second hatch in the original incubator.

Is any of this making since?
Thanks,
Chris

 

[cmom]

Quote:
This idea would probably result in a much better hatch. I did make a hatcher out of a styrofoam cooler. It worked. Mine is actually big enough where I could fit two turners in it.

 

[JD4570]

I need to clarify what I said. For the first 5-7 days you don't put the turner in and just turn them by hand. Then day 5 to 7 you put the turner in after you candle them. Sorry I didn't make it clearer, my fault.

 

[Chris Herzog]

So this is where I'm at with my extra egg dilemma.... Lol, what a problem to have right?

To recap, I ordered eggs from 4 different people. 6 From one, 6 from another, 12 from a third and another 12 from a forth person. Oh yea this is my first time doing this and yes I'm an idiot!!! So anyway I think I have 36 eggs coming with a few extras. LOL not! I received 52 eggs in total and the bator with the turner holds 42. So 1 egg was broken and 1 had a small crack in it, no big deal... I have 50 eggs to set. After going back and forth with what to do with the extra 8 eggs and trying to fit them all in one bator, I decided what the heck I'll make one and do the best I can with it, at least give it a try anyway. So this is what I put together Friday afternoon literary an hour or so before I set all the eggs (I was hoping that they will all hatch close to the same time)....

I didn't think about a water heater thermostat when I did this or else I would have went that route...to control the temp I used a dimmer switch. I had the fan and light so I bought a cooler, switch and a piece of plexiglas. Put it together and turned it on for about an hour and the temp kept creeping up to 111-112. I used a pen and push some holes around the top and got it to come down some. Punched a few more holes around the bottom and got the temp to stay around 99-100. I may have made one ot two minor adjustments since Friday but it seems to be working a lot better than I thought it would. So after I got the temp where I wanted it I loaded both incubators late Friday night. I'm hoping that I'll be able to make it like this until Sunday when I candle the eggs and discard any duds to make room for all the fighters in the incubator I originally bought with the turner so I won't have to turn the 8 eggs any longer in the home made bator.

Any thoughts....and yes I know I have issues! Lol!!!

Thanks,
Chris

 

[JD4570]

Nice homemade bator!

Good quick thinking. Your plan sounds like it should work. Your homemade should also work later on as a hatcher for smaller runs. Sure hope it works out.