are my eggs in danger while I turn them?

[thecityman]

HI. I recently set a large (to me) number of quail eggs- about 60 eggs. I've only done a few in the past....so I have a problem I never thought about and need some advice! I have a standard hoova-bator with NO egg turner. My problem...if it really is one and thats what I'm asking here....is that from the time I open my bator to start turning the eggs until I get all 60 eggs turned, the eggs all end up feeling like they are cool. If they were chicken or turkey I probably wouldn't think much of it, but oviously it doesn't take long for something as small as a quail egg to loose its inherent heat. Now, it could be that only the shell and the outer outer part of the egg are getting cool and the bulk/center of the eggs is staying warm enough that all will be ok. I keep telling myself that a quail hen sometimes leaves her nest longer than it takes me to turn those eggs...but in reality (1) a hen doesn't leave 2 times a day AND (2) the temp outside when a hen leaves her nest is a lot warmer than my air conditioned house!
So, what do you all think? Before you say buy an egg turner...I really don't want to do that since this is probably the only time I'll ever hatch quail eggs so I hate to spend $40-$50 on a turner I'll only use for 13 days (coturnix eggs). Soooo...... am I just being paranoid, or will my eggs and bator actually cool enough durring the turning process to harm them? Thanks all!
Kevin

 

[hongyush2008]

Come on, guys!Don't be so wory! It will be just OK.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

The inside will stay warm for quite a while. No worries.

 

[Rozzie]

x

 

[aprophet]

Right before I bought a turner I was turning 68 coturnix eggs I hatched 46 birds out of those eggs I had a temp spike or 2, lost power one day the eggs do not cool off as quick as you think . Depending on the strain of bird I believe corts are from Europe as well. Before I would turn the eggs I washed my hands well each time.

 

[vetgirl00us]

Also after about 8 days, you may not need to turn as often since the embryo can move on its own at that point and won't get stuck to the shell. Some people argue this, but in my experience it works for me.

 

[Kedreeva]

If you can fashion a carton to hold them (or have one where you can cut the bottoms out of each dip so the bottom of the egg can get air and humidity), then you can speed up the turning process by putting those on a tilt instead of turning each egg individually. You'd just put them all on a carton or two and prop up 1 side of the carton for a 45 degree angle, and swap which side is propped to turn them. This is all a turner would be doing, tilting them- the point is to move the embryo so it doesn't get stuck to the shell so actual rotation is unnecessary.

 

[thecityman]

You guys are the best! Everytime I ask a question here I get the kind of thorough, informative, helpful, well-thought-out answers shown above! Thank-you. I can't tell you what peace of mind you've just given me. I was really upset thinking I might be wasting these eggs! I try to turn quickly, but of course that can easily lead to dropped eggs so I can only go so fast. You guys have reassured me.
Rozzie- we are on almost exactly the same schedule. I set my eggs on Friday afternoon so this is day 3 for me....we will probably hatch about the same time. Best of luck. BTW, how many do you have this time?
Thanks all.
Kevin

 

[Rozzie]

x

 

[thecityman]

Sounds great. I didn't know they made 'bators that small except for the "chick-bator" from GQF than holds just 4 eggs. That was my first incubator ever- when I was young- and even though it's really nothing more than a 7 watt bulb in a plastic dome (no thermostat) I actually had really good luck with that thing. Anyway, I hope your small bator works for you, and I'm sure its better than the one I'm talking about. I've only done a few hatches but you're going to LOVE the whole process! Best of luck, and I look forward to keeping up since we're so close in time.

kevin