Staggered hatch question.

[jeremy]

I just put 15 eggs into the incubator on Tuesday night, they're due sometime around May 11th. I tried to order eggs as close as possible together but wasn't able to get both sets at the same time. I have another 12+ that should be to me around next Wednesday. I've only got one incubator so I'm forced now to do a "staggered hatch".

Does anybody have any experience in doing this? Are there any important things to do, or on the other hand to steer clear of, to still have a successful hatch rate? My biggest concern is when it's time for lockdown for the first set of eggs. Previously I have removed the eggs from the egg turner at this point and let them lay undisturbed for the final days. Could I not do this so that the that eggs still in need of turning be moved by the turner? Or would leaving the turner in harm the hatching chicks? I've read about folks using egg cartons when they hatch which seems similar to the turner to me and I've actually seen hatching pictures where the turner was left in during lockdown, so I figured it might be okay? Does anybody have some advice to offer up?

As soon as this hatch is finished, I'm buying another incubator so that I don't ever have to worry over this again!

 

[Andy J]

Is it possible to take a couple of egg trays out of your turner for the earlier eggs,while the later eggs remain in the turner?I've never tried to stagger a hatch before.

I do know one thing,You're going to have a terrible odor problem unless you can figure out a way to clean the thing out after the first eggs hatch.

Tell us later how you managed this.

Andy J

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
I hadn't even considered that. But yes, my turning trays are removable. When I candle on day 18 I'll simply remove half of the trays from the turner and put some sort of makeshift divider in the incubator to keep the newly hatched babies from accessing the other side.

Thanks for the genius idea!

As far as the smell goes... I guess I'll just have to remove egg shells quickly as I remove chicks that have dried off and hope for the best. I'll probably keep a bottle of Febreze handy though...

 

[jeremy]

Bump?

 

[kathyinmo]

Jeremy,
You have time still ..... to get another incubator. Then you could use one as an incubator and the other as the hatcher. Could you do that? That would be the best thing. I have never done a staggered hatch in just one bator. guinea fowl galore did a big staggered hatch in one a few months ago, with great results. Maybe you could ask her for advise.

 

[guinea fowl galore]

Well what I did is buy a plastic container and at lockdown I put the eggs in the container ( it also had paper towel on the bottom so when that lot was finnished I could clean up easier ) with a lid in it with tissues for humidity, the container nearly touched the top so not much humidity would get to the other eggs. I can't explain it very well

Here is the journey> https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=277141&p=1

 

[deerman]

Egg need turn first 18 days, but doesn't hurt if they are turned all 21 days. Only danger would be chicks getting caught in the turner. So just turn it off the day they are hatching.


Hens turn eggs till the day they hatch. Even the new hatched chicks move the eggs around. With no harm to the eggs.

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
Time yes... cash, no.

I wish I had some more money to drop on another incubator right now, but I just don't. (I am picking up 2 White Ameraucana pullets today though!)

Quote:
Will it harm the other eggs to be exposed to the high humidity rates during hatch? I don't really understand the concept of where your suppose to keep your humidity levels throughout incubation and into the hatch. All I can really remember is that the humidity is suppose to go up when the chicks are hatching so they don't get stuck in the egg, right? How would his negatively effect the other eggs?

Quote:
The newly hatched chicks getting stuck in the turner is my biggest fear. I am still thinking about removing the turning trays that they first batch is in for lockdown, then putting a divider in the incubator so that the other side where there's still a turner isn't accessible.

 

[Chic Chick]

If your first hatch is next week and then another two weeks till the next set hatches you shouldn't have too much trouble unless the extra humidity is bad for the chicks in their first week of development. Go out and get another incubator before Monday and separate the eggs/.

 

[klf73]

I had to hatch in the bator cuz my second bator took so long to get here. I didn't raise the humidity cuz I didn't want to risk the 3 dozen eggs for just the few that were due. No problems hatching whatsoever, and I kept opening to turn the other eggs. I don't live down south or in a high humidity area either

. I will be doing the same thing cuz I don't have time to order another bator cuz I filled the other one up and still have more eggs coming.....