The Poultry Keeper

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Is it ok to incubate the eggs of different breeds and L/F and bantams together.
I have an Octagon 20 and if I only put six eggs in of different breeds and size, is there a best place, ie, all in the middle, spaced out all over, L/F to the outside or whatever.
Thanks

Knobby · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:34 pm Post subject:

I have Oct 20 & I inc'd Buff Orps, Pekins & Silkies all together !!!

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Great, thanks Knobby. What about placing the eggs, do you mix them up or put all biggies together, or doesn't it make any difference?

Knobby · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:14 pm Post subject:

I tried to keep the breeds together....but at the end of the 19 days when you take out the little partitions......they all got mixed up.....especially when they start to hatch and play egg football with the unhatched eggs ! Wink

mojo · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:10 pm Post subject:

mark the known breeds on the eggs in PENCIL put? for unknown then it doesnt matter where they roll to...........mojo........... i seem to get better results with 6 or more eggs dont know if its just me i think they need to cheep to each other when pipping the shells

bird_babe · Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 473 Location: wales

Jan it dosn`t matter wear you put your eggs in the incubator it should be the same temperature all over.
be care-full mixing bantam and large fowl eggs as they hatch at different times. bantams are usually 18 to 19 days large fowl are normally 21 to 23days. If you wan`t them to go together
put the large fowl in 3 days before the bantams then they should all be ready about the same time. or that's the theory any way.

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

That makes sense. I suppose the larger eggs will take longer to warm up.
Thanks BB

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire

I mix LF and bantam in an Octagon 20, transferring all the eggs to the hatcher at day 19. I've only once found a seasick early hatcher. However, of the lot that have just hatched, a bantam egg was first @20 days and last @22 - both from the same breeding pen. If I can't fill the incubator, then I work from the outer edges as they get maximum tilt.

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Thanks to all. Thats a big help as I dont want too many of the same breed.