Do I have to keep turning these eggs by hand? Shipped eggs

[Newchickgrandma]

Day 7 and no quitters! My shipped eggs had air cells that had shifted but were not detached. I let them sit air cell up for more than 12 hours, and then 4 days in the incubator without turning. Now I am hand turning them 3x per day to keep them vertical. Can I just lay them on their side now and let the automatic turner take over?

 

[Newchickgrandma]

 

[Newchickgrandma]

Bump

 

[Newchickgrandma]

Bump

 

[DemeterAD9]

Not an expert, currently have my first batch in the incubator myself so going off of what I've seen/read/experienced. If the air cells are not detached (there are no bubbles free floating around) and none appear to be saddled air cells then I say it should be fine to let the automatic turner do the work.

 

[picanins]

Can I ask how your hatch turned out?

 

[Newchickgrandma]

We got 13 chicks! 12 of them are still alive and healthy. One had a slipped tendon and infected hock and sadly didn't make it.

 

[Newchickgrandma]

I believe possibly the other 7 would've hatched but the night the last chick and 7 eggs were in the incubator I made some mistake and it said the temp was only 96 8 days later I finally turned off the incubator and opened one of the eggs. Saw the fully formed chick and didn't open any more eggs.

 

[Ponies4me]

Day 7 and no quitters! My shipped eggs had air cells that had shifted but were not detached. I let them sit air cell up for more than 12 hours, and then 4 days in the incubator without turning. Now I am hand turning them 3x per day to keep them vertical. Can I just lay them on their side now and let the automatic turner take over?

Did you open and close your incubator 3x a day to hand turn eggs? For how long?! Or did you use automatic turner?! Wouldn’t opening and shutting incubator to turn be harmful?!

 

[DemeterAD9]

Did you open and close your incubator 3x a day to hand turn eggs? For how long?! Or did you use automatic turner?! Wouldn’t opening and shutting incubator to turn be harmful?!

It's not really an issue if it is done quickly. Yes the temp may drop but not much nor long enough to disrupt incubation. Humidity wouldn't be an issue either IMO unless they are actively hatching. I would imagine it isn't much different than when a hen is sitting up to shuffle the eggs around with her beak. Then there's taking into account that a broody hen will leave the nest at least once a day for a short break, far longer than the time it would take to turn eggs.