Can eggs hatch without being turned?

[Susan Skylark]

I had a bad turner with a batch of quail, had a 50% hatch rate. Yes, you can hatch eggs just expect higher embryonic death and a higher chance of deformity.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do you have recommendations about to set cooling or not, if I try hatching eggs again?

I don't think it matters. Hens regularly leave the nest for a period but that is to eat, drink, and especially poop so they are not pooping in the nest. They are not coming off on purpose just to cool the eggs.

The egg inside the shell is pretty dense, it will cool off slowly. I've had a hen in the heat of summer come off of the nest for over an hour. In colder weather I had a hen come off for no more than 15 minutes before she returned so I think it can make a difference but not in a good way if they cool too much.

It's only my opinion but I suspect that cooling period is more of a marketing gimmick than any real necessity for chickens. The study Brinsea said they used was for geese.

I had a bad turner with a batch of quail, had a 50% hatch rate. Yes, you can hatch eggs just expect higher embryonic death and a higher chance of deformity.

This, from someone with experience.

Many years ago I saw a study performed in the country of Turkey that assessed turning. Not turning makes a difference but you can still get many eggs to hatch if they are not turned.

 

[Tookie]

Thank you for your reply. I have a video, not a very good one, but I thought I saw movement. Thread doesn’t give me option to upload a video it seems.. but the one I thought I saw movement in are the pics that you think the chick could be alive. I guess I’ll wait and see. The eggs are turning now, not that 2 days are going to make much difference.

Like mentioned, you can upload a video to YouTube and post the link here.

I sure hope the one will be okay! When hatch day comes, closely monitor and check for internal and external pips, in case you need to assist it.

I hatched some chicks last June. I set 3, and added 4 more 1.5 weeks later. Of the first 3 one was infertile, one died at around day 14, and I had one hatch. I had the one alone until the others hatched. It is definitely doable having a lone chick, but of course its not ideal. You just have to give more attention!