Hatching in a turner...

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

Is it better to take the eggs out of the turner and lay them on their side for lock down or just turn off the turner and leave them be?

 

[matlock585]

Every one does things their own way, but I always let mine hatch on their side. It seems more natural to me. It is, however, very upsetting watching the hatched out chicks run all over the ones that are pipped and turning them where you can't see them.
I've never used a turner though, my incubator is a homemade and I have always hand turned.

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

Yeah I hear ya, I also am using my diy incubator now and on day 7. I use a string tied to a cartoon to lean it side to side...I guess its working. My kids want to hatch from our rooster this spring so I made this and using a friends buff eggs as a test run.

 

[matlock585]

Nice set up.
I don't see why you couldn't hatch with them in that. My first hatch I set my eggs in paper egg cartons with the bottoms cut off. I only had 5 eggs on that run, but I didn't like it, it seemed like the chicks had a hard time getting out of the shell because it was upright. Kinda like if you were trying to get out of a trash can, it would be easier if it was on it's side.
That's the only time I ever hatched that way.

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

OK now why did you cut out the bottom of the cartoon?

 

[matlock585]

So they got air all the way around.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know that there is any real difference in hatching them upright, like the egg carton method, or laying them flat. You'll find different people doing either and convinced their way is the best. I really think a lot of it is personal preference. I lay them flat, but as far as I am concerned, that is not the right way or the wrong way. It is just my way.

One reason I would suggest you not use the turner is that the chicks make a mess when they hatch. You really need to clean pretty well when hatch is over. Depending on what your turner looks like, the electronic parts could be hard to clean without getting them wet.

I have not used the turner during hatch so I don't know how big a concern this really is, but my turner has several places a chick could get a foot trapped.

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

Ok thanks, since you brought up the mess that the chicks make I have yet another question. I didn't make a false floor and I have seen a lot of incubators with the hardware cloth at the bottom...should I have?

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

So they got air all the way around.

Makes sense Thanks

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just noticed that was a photo of your homemade one and not one that someome else was showing you. Nothing like an extra cup of coffee to help you pay attention.

Mine is a commercial incubator with a plastic tray that sets on the bottom with the water reservoirs, with a wire mesh floor above that. It's pretty easy to clean up. But my incubator is one of those foam ones. Yours is a hard plastic. I think it would be pretty easy to clean afterwards. It would not hurt to put a plastic liner on the bottom of yours under the hardware cloth, but I don't think it is really necessary. You may think about that after you go through a hatch though.