Here's the situation:
I have a 'bator with 5 Dorking eggs,(shipped) 3 EE's (from my own hens), 11 guineas and 3 turkeys, all set at the same time. Well, almost, the guinea eggs were started one day later than the turkeys. The turkeys were actually started under 2 broody hens, but one quit. There were too many great big eggs to be covered by one hen, so into the bator went the smaller ones, the ones that would fit in the turner cups.
Here's the plan, so far:
I still have a broody on turkey eggs, set at the same time, and now that I've removed bad eggs and clears, there's enough room that I could put the turkey eggs back under her, where they started.
The chicken eggs are due to hatch next Monday, so they need to stop turning Friday. (or Saturday?) Probably doesn't make much difference, as I'll be tilting the bator for another day or two anyway.
I'm planning to put the chicken eggs and the guinea eggs in carton bottoms, and removing the turner. I'll go ahead and tilt the bator to slightly turn the guinea eggs a little, without doing any harm to the chicken eggs, stop and leave it level from day 20, and take the guinea eggs out of the cartons, and lay them horizontally on the floor of the bator. I want the chicks to hatch in the cartons, because the shipped eggs just seem to do better that way. The hatching chicks will roll the guinea eggs around some. When the chicks are done and dry, I can take them out, put the turner back in for the guinea eggs, or just turn by hand for the last few days.
Any suggestions or tips to help this go smoothly? Any obvious flaws here I haven't thought of?
I have a 'bator with 5 Dorking eggs,(shipped) 3 EE's (from my own hens), 11 guineas and 3 turkeys, all set at the same time. Well, almost, the guinea eggs were started one day later than the turkeys. The turkeys were actually started under 2 broody hens, but one quit. There were too many great big eggs to be covered by one hen, so into the bator went the smaller ones, the ones that would fit in the turner cups.
Here's the plan, so far:
I still have a broody on turkey eggs, set at the same time, and now that I've removed bad eggs and clears, there's enough room that I could put the turkey eggs back under her, where they started.
The chicken eggs are due to hatch next Monday, so they need to stop turning Friday. (or Saturday?) Probably doesn't make much difference, as I'll be tilting the bator for another day or two anyway.
I'm planning to put the chicken eggs and the guinea eggs in carton bottoms, and removing the turner. I'll go ahead and tilt the bator to slightly turn the guinea eggs a little, without doing any harm to the chicken eggs, stop and leave it level from day 20, and take the guinea eggs out of the cartons, and lay them horizontally on the floor of the bator. I want the chicks to hatch in the cartons, because the shipped eggs just seem to do better that way. The hatching chicks will roll the guinea eggs around some. When the chicks are done and dry, I can take them out, put the turner back in for the guinea eggs, or just turn by hand for the last few days.
Any suggestions or tips to help this go smoothly? Any obvious flaws here I haven't thought of?
