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!

 

[Hummer]

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.


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.

I feel so dumb! It has been a long time since I have set up my brinsea advanced mini. I had the egg tray placed upside down in the incubator, so it was not turning the eggs! I was not certain any of the eggs would hatch from the start, but at least two eggs were fertile. But then they didn’t get turned AT ALL!!! I didn’t notice! I heard the turner rotate, so thought it was working. I checked the water pot every few days, but didn’t even notice that the eggs weren’t turning. The incubator was set up in upstairs bathroom away from our pets. I just candled and see air sacks, and dark areas in the eggs. Not sure if chicks are dead or alive. I don’t know what to do. I have 4 days left and only two days til lock down. From what I have read, it is unlikely the chicks that developed in the 2 fertile eggs have survived or will be healthy. Has anyone ever had this happen? If so, did any chicks live? I really don’t want deformed chicks to hatch either. It is hard for me to tell if anything is alive in the eggs. I thought I saw movement in one, but can’t be sure. I have added several different pics of the two eggs. There are only 4 days left til hatch date, so I think the chicks are most likely dead from not getting turned properly.

Update: I threw the eggs out. None hatched. Lesson learned. Thank you to everyone who gave feedback!!