hatching turkey eggs

[skittles1]

Hi
reading all the comments, i read some say to only hand turn Turkey eggs? some say the electric turner works.
i also see some say turn eggs at least 4 times a day, others 2 times a day.
eggs are in the mail, should be here tomorrow. here is the other thing, some say let them set for 24 hours. i have seen others say 2 to 3 days.??
wow that seems like a really long time.
so trying to find the right combination. i have had success with the chickens in the incubator, with auto turner. but
turkey's seem to be a whole different book.

 

[chicken pickin]

Hi
reading all the comments, i read some say to only hand turn Turkey eggs? some say the electric turner works.
i also see some say turn eggs at least 4 times a day, others 2 times a day.
eggs are in the mail, should be here tomorrow. here is the other thing, some say let them set for 24 hours. i have seen others say 2 to 3 days.??
wow that seems like a really long time.
so trying to find the right combination. i have had success with the chickens in the incubator, with auto turner. but
turkey's seem to be a whole different book.

Incubating and hatching turkey eggs is no different than doing chicken eggs with the exception they take 28days not 21days. If you are having good luck with the temp and humidity you run to hatch your chicken eggs try the same for your turkey eggs. Also either hand turning or auto turner are just fine. I use an auto turner with good results. If you are hand turning make sure you turn an odd number of times through out the day, most people go with 3 times other 5 times. The reason for the odd number is so the the eggs do not sit on the same side each night over night for the long period of time while you are sleeping. Turning odd times will alternate a different side of the egg each night.

For shipped eggs most wait at least 24 hours other 48hrs. A lot of us will candle the eggs when they arrive and check the air cells, if they are stable they need the less settling time if the air cells are detached and rolling or saddled they let them rest longer. Try to limit the handling of the shipped eggs. If the air cells don't look to good sometimes the eggs will also benefit to a few days of no turning once in the incubator which also helps the air cell stabilize better.

 

[skittles1]

thanks, that makes sense, now i get it! I always want to know why, rather then just do this or that.
inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Lagerdogger]

here is the other thing, some say let them set for 24 hours. i have seen others say 2 to 3 days.??
wow that seems like a really long time.

I assume you mean how long do you let them sit at the end of incubation. Most sources say 4 days for turkeys. But I have had several instances where multiple turkeys lay in a nest, and eggs get abandoned after the first few hatch. So I end up incubating eggs of unknown age. I guess by candling, but occasionally I have guessed wrong, and I have had poults hatch right on the turner. So there really is a good deal of flexibility.

 

[skittles1]

oh that information will certianly help in the future, but what i failed to write, is When my eggs are shipped, how long do i wait to put them in the incubator? 24 hours ? 48? or more.