Problem with egg turner - turning to often and inconsistently

[ChiniakChicken]

Hello
I am brand new to BYC and to life as a chicken owner. I have eggs in the incubator on day 9 but need some advice. I thought I noticed that the egg turner was leaning right more often then left but had not tested it before starting except to see that it turned left and right. So on day 7 when I candled I took the turner out to test it and went to hand turning. The specs on the turner say it should turn every 4 hours but this one is turning every 2-3. Based on what I've read on the BYC forum this might not be a huge issue, but unfortunatley the turner is also staying right longer than it is left - it will lean right for 2-2.5 hours but it leans left for only a half hour to an hour, and I can't detrmine a consistent pattern. Are the eggs goners because of this inconsistent pattern of turning? When I candled I thought I noticed that the air sac was more off to one side rather than at the wide end of the egg but this could have been my paranoia over my concerns with the egg turner. I'm fine with hand turning for the rest of the incubation but would like to hear what others think.
Thanks in advance!

 

[sumi]

I heard a broody hen turns her eggs up to 50 times a day, so I don't think the turner turning them so often would've harmed them. Keep on hand turning and keep an eye on the air cells. Hopefully they will hatch out O.k. for you.

 

[ChiniakChicken]

Thank you for responding - I'm just a nervous first timer - I still have 28 eggs in the incubator and have high hopes for about 12 of them - they shipped all the way to Alaska, so I will be so happy if any of them hatch!

 

[t8562005]

This past year I quit using an egg turner, didn't have good results with it. An Amish guy told me how he turns his eggs, he said he just rolls his hand over them once a day. I tried it and got way better hatching results from it.

 

[sumi]

I heard you get better results if you hand turn instead of using a turner. Haven't tried a turner, so I don't know from my own experience how the 2 compare. I always hand turn the eggs I incubate.

 

[mamawolf544]

I only use a turner for my chicken eggs. All my large eggs and quail eggs I just run my hand over them too.

 

[mstricer]

This past year I quit using an egg turner, didn't have good results with it. An Amish guy told me how he turns his eggs, he said he just rolls his hand over them once a day. I tried it and got way better hatching results from it.

You know and Amish guy that has and incubator, is it ran on kerosene? I have an Amish friend that is trying to make his own. He doesn't have one yet so he brings his eggs to me.

 

[t8562005]

Yeah he says he uses kerosene.