Hand Turning

[LostinQuailLand]

Does anyone have any experience with hand turning quail eggs? If so, how do you suggest this be done. I have an over abundance of quail eggs and they keep coming! I have turned down the lights but they still drop out 9-14 eggs a day. I have incubators but only 1 turner so I have no choice but to hand turn them. I thought I read that you turn them three times a day but...if they are in the egg cartons how do you do this? If I take them out how often do I need to turn them. Someone fill me in please!

 

[mhwc56]

i'm hand turning Button eggs now. ...well i was, they just went into lockdown.
i have the eggs in a coturnix carton and i just shift them kind of from right to left, each egg is numbered so i know which side is which and i only TILT the eggs ,i don't go completely from 1 side to another....it's easy. i turn them at least 3 X a day but it's usually double that amount..5-7 X a day.
we'll see how well it works like that by the weekend....if any of the eggs hatch...

 

[LostinQuailLand]

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I have bobwhites right now. I have x and o and numbered them for the three side effect. Dont really know why but there is some method to my maddness. LOL So it is better to turn them 7 times a day.....?? Then that is what i will do. Let me know how things turn out for you.

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
I have bobwhites right now. I have x and o and numbered them for the three side effect. Dont really know why but there is some method to my maddness. LOL So it is better to turn them 7 times a day.....?? Then that is what i will do. Let me know how things turn out for you.

i have no idea if 7 is better than 3 or 12 or etc, that just happens to be what i'm doing. I figure that a mom rolls her eggs around more than 3 X so i'd give it a shot......

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

$50.00 is my answer.... it has been the best $50 I've spent!

(On an autoturner)

Seriously though, an autoturner is worth investment, especially as you incubate more and more eggs. Just my 2 cents!

 

[mhwc56]

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more than likely the sensible thing to do...then too, i have a homemade incubator so .....

 

[shelleyd2008]

Just lay them in the incubator and 'roll' them a couple times a day. A friend of mine has one of those 'old' cabinet bators that is all one level, no turner. He just puts his palm on the eggs and pushes them around a bit. Works pretty good, I've never seen a hen make sure each and every egg was turned completely over 3+ times a day, she just moves them a bit getting on and off the nest and when she adjusts herself

 

[JJMR794]

Set Them All Upright In Cartons And Simply Tilt The Carton To Different Sides Multiple Times A Day

 

[Covey Rise Plantation]

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Videos of wild hens on nest shows no turning what so ever, Most times the only movement was leaving the nest to feed up to two hours at the time, And some twice a day..Turn them or not, I'ts not going to make that much difference.

 

[LostinQuailLand]

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Thank you!