[pandora]

I have my RCom20 all set up, eggs ready to go in it, everything hunky-dory. The eggs arrived through the post on Thursday, so I rested them for 24hrs and they should have gone in yesterday, except when I got in I had a phone call from my sister.  She is holding a birthday party for herself and her young son the weekend the eggs would be due to hatch. We are a very close family, so the thought of not going because I have eggs due is not an option. I was very tired from an exhausting day at work yesterday (if I said I worked for the World's Favourite  amd the ones who aren't striking are working harder than ever to make up for those who are - you get the picture!) So I decided not to put them in and have a sleep on it. My sister would normally hold her birthday party over Easter weekend, and that is what I expected this year, but due to lots of parents of her son's friends saying they had other plans at Easter she has decided to move it by a week, so I couldn't have predicted it.

So, my dilemma is this do I;
1. Put the eggs in today anyway, and ask a friend to housesit for the weekend and keep an eye on things.
2. Wait till Sunday and put the eggs in then. I received them through the post on Thursday, so they could have been laid as early as Monday.

The days I will be up at my sister's are from 7pm Fri 9th April, returning about 10pm Sun 11th. As I said, if I did put them in, a friend could supervise. But then I'd miss the hatch! I am worried about leaving the eggs too long before I put them in though.

Aaargh - best laid plans and all that!

[joyfull]

if it was me I would put them in the incubator as the longer you leave it the lower the hatch rate could be. Just make sure your friend knows exactly what they are doing and also they could hatch on day 20 or even 22 or 23 (I have had hatches from day 20 through to 24 with a broody before).

[Sassy]

I can't help with your main question but it is best to wait 24 hours to let the eggs settle before starting them in the incubator when they have come through the post.  Good luck whatever you decide

[lisa80]

you will need someone there to take chicks out and put in the brooder, some could like mine hatch on day 20  :wub:they would need to be taken out after 24 hrs. If they hatch over 3 days as some do the first lot cant stay until the end if you know what i mean :)i would put them in because as joyful says the hatch rate drops the older your eggs are

[pandora]

Thanks for the replies - they are going in right now!  (I got my days mixed up and it was Wednsday they were received - day before yesterday. Sorry - tired! So the have had a good rest sinc eoging through the post.) Friend keeps her horse withme, and I saw her about half an hour ago and she was begging to be allowed to be on chick-watch! She has done it before for me, but it has been with a broody before. This will be her her first go with an incubator.

[joyfull]

you really need to make sure then that she knows everything as hathing with an incubator can bring so many problems that you don't get with a broody. I can't help with this as I have only used broodies, but there is a book by Katie Thear which explains all about incubating.

[poppies]

Hi we hatch only using incubators and chicks are fine in there for up to 48 hours - as long as the incubator is not opened