Splitting incubator in half??? Day 21 and 18 eggs together

[SundownWaterfowl]

Well, in about 16 days, I have 2 sets of Silkie eggs hatching.

They hatch on the same day. One batch is from my silkies around 5 eggs, and One batch is from another breeder (around 8 eggs, need to check fertility).

I want to have the chicks hatch seperate so that I can mark them from which breeder they came from.

I was thinking of taking a strip of cardboard maybe, 4" tall and running it down the middle of the incubator. It is a Hovabator 1602N. Would that work? I would put my eggs on one side, and the other breeders eggs on the other side?I cant let them hatch in my Brinsea because I have other eggs that will be on around day 18, and I dont want to risk that hatch.

Or would it be fine to have one batch of eggs on day day 21 and day 18 in the same incubator to hatch. (I would put the other day 21 eggs in the hovabator) I would have to open up the incubator quick, after the eggs are done hatching. Would that effect the day 18 eggs negatively?

 

[Katy]

I've done that quite a few times when I needed to keep the eggs seperate. I duct tape the ends of the cardboard to the sides of the bottom.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
It wont mess up my incubator or the heat in the incubator right? Like the duct tape wont pull the styrafoam incubator apart?

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Not like chicks can jump that high...it would prob work great...what a great idea! I never thought of that.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
It wont mess up my incubator or the heat in the incubator right? Like the duct tape wont pull the styrafoam incubator apart?

No it doesn't affect the temp or humidity. It hasn't pulled my incubator apart and mine is styrofoam.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
It wont mess up my incubator or the heat in the incubator right? Like the duct tape wont pull the styrafoam incubator apart?

No it doesn't affect the temp or humidity. It hasn't pulled my incubator apart and mine is styrofoam.

Do you mean putting the duct tape on the styrafoam, or the wire mesh over the water holders?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
No it doesn't affect the temp or humidity. It hasn't pulled my incubator apart and mine is styrofoam.

Do you mean putting the duct tape on the styrafoam, or the wire mesh over the water holders?

I tape the ends to the styrofoam sides of the bottom half of the incubator.

 

[gessieviolet]

To keep hatches separated I use the plastic drawer divider trays available at Walmart; the mesh sides do not interfere with heat or humidity, and the height keeps the chicks in individual trays; for quail I have fashioned little wire lids that fit over the trays and use tie downs to hold them on the trays. Have read of others using mesh bags, but have never done that. Oh yeah, I do fit a piece of rubber drawer liner on bottoms of trays so chicks don't slip and slid.

 

[klf73]

I have done this, but I use masking tape and pegboard(cheap) to allow air flow, but I have a force air bator. Good luck!
Krista

 

[ginasmarans]

What wonderful ideas. i may have to use one of them. So far i just hatch one batch at a time,but it would be great to be able to have a full bater. I guess you just need to be prepared to mark the chick in some way. Thanks guys.