It's probably better to try and turn your eggs at set times, that way you're in a routine and you're less likely to forget to do it. I work all sorts of odd shifts though, and so I just turn mine when I get up, a couple of times through the day, and before I go to bed. I try to have the Xs and the Os on the top on alternate nights, but it doesn't always work out that way. I still manage a pretty reasonable hatch rate so I don't suppose it matters all that much. I mean, do you think a broody hen turns all of her eggs the exact same amount every 8 hours? I do notice a better hatch rate when using an auto turner that turns the eggs every hour, but that could be because of a number of factors: the turning, less handling of the eggs meaning less bacteria transfer, or the eggs not being exposed to a temperature drop three times a day with the bator being opened.
