This sucks!

[PrinceSandwich]

About 18 days ago I set 2 dozen eggs in my bator for the very first time. A week after I set the eggs someone gave me 6 buckeye eggs for free that I also put in. So today is the start of the lock-down period for the eggs that I put in first, so I've taken the auto turner out and put the eggs on top of the wire and uped the humitity. But during the lock-down your not supossed to open the bator because you will let out all the humitity and heat. So the buckeye eggs I got are going to hatch a week later but I had to take out the auto turner and I can't open the bator to handturn them because of the lock-down

So I took them out and I'm going to throw them away bacause I have no other bator to put them in

and the worst part is when I took them out I candled them and every single one is viening!!

 

[Shifty Joe]

Don't throw them out!!! Let them ride out the lockdown, you may have a few issues but you will still get some. Turning is very important the first two weeks, but if they don't get turned in day 14-18 it's going to be ok. The humidity will be the biggest thing, but they should be ok.

 

[6littlechickies]

I'm not an expert but if it was me, I'd just leave the other eggs in there and don't turn them. If they are 7 days behind the others, they would be 11 days...give 5 days for your current hatch and they would be just about ready for their own lockdown anyway. I've read lots of cases where the eggs were not turned at all and still hatched. IMHO, Worst case nothing hatches but they at least have a shot that way. I'm horrible like that, i hate to even take out eggs I KNOW aren't fertile so I'd probably at least try with these ones.

Good luck either way!

 

[CrazyWestTexasFarmGirl]

I would leave them in there and give them a chance..... especially if they are veining..... might lower the hatch rate but its worth a shot....
Or be like me and run out and get another incubator... but then.... you fill it up too and run into the same thing later and need a third incubator..... Now i have a cabinet inc and two styros and I am having to restrain myself from filling them all up again...... I am determined to have one empty as a backup for staggered hatches like that... I swear....

 

[PrinceSandwich]

Thanks guys! I'll put them back in. They have been out of the bator at room temp since 8 o'clock this morning, do you think their still be all right?

 

[Julie08]

yes they should be fine, good luck

 

[PrinceSandwich]

Ok so I just put them in again. We'll see what happens

 

[Ooopsy_daisy]

I never keep my bator shut during "lock down"......you only have 6 eggs ...open that puppy quickly and turn those eggs. Does the hen not move one inch or stay on the nest the last 3 days??? HECK NO LOL. I think we all get a bit carried away with hatching, especially our first few times.

Ask yourself this, in the warmer areas of the USA where the temps right now are upward of 100 degrees plus, do you think the hen has an air conditioner under her to keep the eggs at 100 degrees with her excessive body heat? Ive also seen ducks hatch after the eggs were frozen (but not cracked) so these eggs are much more hardy then we think.


Good luck with your hatch and watch those lil Buckeyes, my money is on them as long as they dont get to much humidity

 

[horsejody]

If you are using a styrofoam bator, maybe you can put them right under the air holes. Then you could try sticking a staw or pencil in there through the hole to turn them.

 

[babsbag]

I know there are mixed opinions on this, but I misted the inside of my incubator with WARM water when I needed to open it. It kept the humidity up there.

And as far as high humidity, don't worry about drowning your chicks in the eggs that are not on lockdown. They can't drown until they pip internally so a few days of high humidity won't hurt the chicks that aren't ready to hatch.

Good luck with you hatch.