Confused on when to stop turning eggs

[Oreo quail]

Since I don't have an automatic turner in my incubator, I turn by hand.  I try to turn them about 5 times a day when they are young yet(early stages of development). But as they get closer to lockdown I stop worrying about it so much, and only turn about 3 times a day(I stop turning as much at around day 14-16).  And always turn an odd number of times.  I don't really have the best explanation(or remember the explanation that I read), so I hope someone can tell you why, but just trust me on this.  And I don't have a set time for when I turn them.  It's more of a 'turn them when I get up in the morning, turn them at around 9:30-10:30, turn between 12:30-2:00, turn at supper time, and turn before I go to bed'.  And then the turning process repeats in the morning.  I hope this helped.  

I am glad I got an automatic turner. I could not turn that much. I guess I have lost my brooding instinct

 

[laceyyates]

I just read a very interesting article and intend to follow directions as I agree! It said that chicks start to "get into position" on day 14. We are to turn eggs to prevent sticking. But if the chick is positioning itself and moving on it's own, why continue to turn eggs? It also stated that the person who did this had less malpositioned pips when they stopped turning eggs at day 14. Their reasoning was the turning kind of confuses the chick. I found it fascinating (as I do hatching in general) and am trying it with my hatch for sure! I put eggs in the same day (14 shipped cream leg bars at 7:00 am and 10 buffs at 1:00 pm) so will stop turning the evening of the 14th day.

 

[cmom]

I do have a turner but I incubate in a cabinet incubator. A couple of times I had marked the wrong week on my calendar and the chicks started hatching in the turners. I still had great hatches.
Here is a website with some interesting pictures of an egg developing.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/chicken-embryo-development-views-from.html
IMPORTANT EVENTS IN EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT

BEFORE EGG LAYING
Fertilization
Division and growth of living cells
Segregation of cells into groups of special function
BETWEEN LAYING AND INCUBATION
No growth; stage of inactive embryonic life
DURING INCUBATION
FIRST DAY:
16 hours - First sign of resemblance to a chick embryo
18 hours - Appearance of alimentary tract
20 hours - Appearance of vertebral column
21 hours - Beginning of formation of nervous system
22 hours - Beginning of formation of head
23 hours - Appearance of blood islands - vitelline circulation
24 hours - Beginning of formation of eye
SECOND DAY:
23 hours - Beginning of formation of heart
35 hours - Beginning of formation of ear
42 hours - Heart begins to beat
THIRD DAY:
50 hours - Beginning of formation of amnion
60 hours - Beginning of formation of nose
62 hours - Beginning of formation of legs
64 hours - Beginning of formation of wings
70 hours - Beginning of formation of allantois
FOURTH DAY:
Beginning of formation of tongue

FIFTH DAY:
Beginning of formation of reproductive organs and differentiation of sex
SIXTH DAY:
Beginning of formation of beak and eggtooth
EIGHTH DAY:
Beginning of formation of feathers
TENTH DAY:
Beginning of hardening of beak
THIRTEENTH DAY:
Appearance of scales and claws
FOURTEENTH DAY:
Embryo turns its head toward the blunt end of egg
SIXTEENTH DAY:
Scales, claws, and beak becoming firm and horny
SEVENTEENTH DAY:
Beak turns toward air cell
NINETEENTH DAY:
Yolk sac begins to enter body cavity
TWENTIETH DAY:
Yolk sac completely drawn into body cavity; embryo occupies practically all the space within the egg except the air cell
TWENTY-FIRST DAY:
Hatching of chick

 

[FrankFamilyFarm]

HELP!! I have a seven egg incubator and I accidentally dropped a couple drips into the venting system and now it won't go over 28 degrees Celsius instead of 38. I got all the water out and shook it and whiped it out and refilled VERY carefully but it still won't go higher. It's set for 38


And I'm on mobile so I have no idea how to create a post so I said it here


Plz help

 

[Oreo quail]

Don't know. Picture of incubator? Are you using and independent thermometer is the temp reading part of the bator?

 

[FrankFamilyFarm]

Don't know. Picture of incubator? Are you using and independent thermometer is the temp reading part of the bator?

I've tried posting a pic but it never loads for some reason but if you google mini 7 egg incubator it should show.

I have an update it's gotten higher now it stuck on 35 is that good enough or ....

 

[NickyPick]

Every time I've used my incubator, the chicks start to pip & zip on day 19. I don't think I've ever had them go a full 21 days. Wonder why mine are always early hatchers?

 

[DanEP]

If your temps are a little high they will hatch a little early, or if your hatching bantam eggs they always seem to hatch earlier as well. I know my bator is about 1/2 a degree warm and bantam usually start late on day 19 and large fowl start later on day 20

 

[LONDON HENS]

Can there be any damage done if eggs are turned till day 20?

 

[susanland12]

I have eggs in my incubator that were put in over about a 10-day period period the early ones are ready to hatch and I stop turning them. The later ones still need to be turned but I'm afraid to open the lid because the humidity will go down. What do I do?