The great egg debate! (Staggered hatching)

[Brytsss]

So I have a little giant incubator that hold 50ish eggs without the turner and 41 with. Here's my dilemma: I have 20 local eggs in there that went in there on 6/10, and one local egg that went in on 6/4. I will then be getting 36 shipped eggs on 6/19 I want to squeeze everyone in and hatch them all.... Out of all the eggs 41 will be bantam so they are smaller do you think I could fit 57 eggs in there? Can I do a staggered hatch? How would I work with the humidity? Lockdown? I want the eggs that are being shipped to hatch more than what's in the bator and thought about waiting to get them in there until my first batch hatches but am afraid that what didn't make it via shipping and handling would then reduce even more... But would it reduce more than trying to cram everyone in there at once?!

Thank you in advance.

 

[SIMZ]

Is there any way you could buy a 2nd Little Giant and use it just as a hatcher? It's the next step in this hatching addiction, you know.

Seriously, it would solve your problem. I think doing your staggered hatch is going to cause problems. Along with not being to open the lid to turn during lock down & humidity swings, the hatching eggs will goop up and jar your still incubating eggs.

 

[SIMZ]

OR splurge and buy a cabinet incubator. I have a GQF that does staggered hatches well because of the different trays.

 

[Brytsss]

Well i just bought a Dickeys cabinet incubator today because i thought the same thing. That because it has different trays i could still open it for different hatch dates and be ok will that work?

 

[SIMZ]

Well i just bought a Dickeys cabinet incubator today because i thought the same thing. That because it has different trays i could still open it for different hatch dates and be ok will that work

Good for you! Yes, that will work much better for staggered hatches, as long as it has an automatic turner. Just allow at least 5 days (more is better) between hatches to allow for lock-down & hatch time when you can't open the door.

I try to schedule hatches so each batch has no more than one high humidity time in addition to their hatch - so every week and a half to two weeks for setting. More than that seems to affect my hatch rates, but maybe won't for you.

Best of luck!

 

[gpop1]

If you kept the little giant just use that as a hatcher. Start it up a few hrs before you need it then transfer the egg