Egg position and turning

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Capel Chooks

Chirping
Apr 20, 2020
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I have been keeping runner ducks for several years, along with a few chickens, but never before had the time to hatch some eggs. Now I am stuck at home in lockdown and welcoming to have the chance to do this. My runner ducks have successfully bred their own few ducklings, but last year two ducks disappeared off into the woods, never came home to their pen for the night and were literally sitting ducks for the foxes. Now I just have two lonely drakes, and due to collect my fertile Runner eggs from a friend tomorrow. I have received my very tiny incubator in the post, it holds just 7 eggs and recommends the eggs being positioned point down. All the videos I have watched show eggs laying on their sides in the incubator, so I am confused how to turn the eggs? Keep them with the point down and rotate them, or turn them upside down so the point is facing upwards? Any advice please? Also I have read on different websites to start turning eggs from day 1 in the incubator, and on another site to NOT turn them until day 4. Again, advice welcomed.
 
Capel Chooks said:
I have been keeping runner ducks for several years, along with a few chickens, but never before had the time to hatch some eggs. Now I am stuck at home in lockdown and welcoming to have the chance to do this. My runner ducks have successfully bred their own few ducklings, but last year two ducks disappeared off into the woods, never came home to their pen for the night and were literally sitting ducks for the foxes. Now I just have two lonely drakes, and due to collect my fertile Runner eggs from a friend tomorrow. I have received my very tiny incubator in the post, it holds just 7 eggs and recommends the eggs being positioned point down. All the videos I have watched show eggs laying on their sides in the incubator, so I am confused how to turn the eggs? Keep them with the point down and rotate them, or turn them upside down so the point is facing upwards? Any advice please? Also I have read on different websites to start turning eggs from day 1 in the incubator, and on another site to NOT turn them until day 4. Again, advice welcomed.
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Lay them on their sides, and turn and an odd number of times a day so they don't repeatedly lay on the same side and damage the yolk, I write X on one side and O on the other, I turn about three times a day, sometimes five. I turn on day one, just like the mother would do. If the air cells are funky because of shipment you may want to wait a few days before turning though.
 

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