2 sets of eggs only 1 incubator

[Beth]

I need some advice.  I have a set of eggs (quail)  in the incubator on day 15.  The power has gone on and off all last weekend due to storms.
I have another batch of eggs...30... that need to be incubated and I only have 1 incubator.  Should I set the 2nd batch then remove all eggs from the turner when its day 20 of the 1st batch?   What should I do?
I don't want to loose either batch.
 :?

[britguy33]

remove 1/2 the egg cups and put the first set on wire at day 20 and keep turning the 2nd batch until they get to day 20. 1 problem will be humidity difference at day 20 of first batch. You may drown the others

[deadeye1]

remove 1/2 the egg cups and put the first set on wire at day 20 and keep turning the 2nd batch until they get to day 20. 1 problem will be humidity difference at day 20 of first batch. You may drown the others

You can't leave the egg turner in the bator while chicks are hatching,or you take a chance on crushing a chick and damage the turner.I don't think 3 days of high humidity will harm the others as long as you get it back down after the first batch has hatched.

[muttsburg]

This year I hatched 2 batches of eggs due to hatch 1 week apart with some success. On the day the first batch was ready to be set off the turner I removed the rack bars from the frame for the ones coming out. I made a 4 sided pen from one of those plastic sheets used for drop ceiling lighting that has 1/2in square holes allowing plenty of air circulation and fitted it to the empty area of the Little Giant.

    Then I cut several narrow strips of heavy paper toweling and laid it under the screen at the wells on that side so it could wick up the water, then put rubber shelving liner over the wire and placed the pen over that area giving them 85% humidity. I put the ready eggs in the pen leaving the others in the remaining turner racks. I then lifted the outer edge of the window that was over the turners to vent out humidity on that side.

     I had to have everything ready ahead of time and work really fast putting it all in there but when the ready eggs hatched the chicks were contained away from the turners. I had a better hatch rate with the second batch than the first but they were from different farms and packed differently. I assume that made some difference. Point being that it didn't seem to present a problem with the second batch having the humidity higher, maybe because the window was venting that area.

    I agree with a lot of the posts here, half the fun is trying new things, seeing what works and doesn't, being willing to to share the experiences good and bad. It probably wasn't the best system in the world but the shipping problems made improvising necessary. I'd do it again if I had to.

Hope you had good luck with them  :!: