How many times a day do you turn your eggs?

[FoodFreedomNow]

I don't use an incubator but I have timed hens turning eggs. Given the nest box in my house is only a few metres from my bed and the turning process can be quite loud when the ambient noise is only 30db
What I found interesting is the turning rate not only varies from hen to hen (this may be due to temperature differences by month and whether or not the eggs are under the hen, or spread around her)
Anyway, roughly the hens that have sat here turn their eggs every twenty minutes. I have tried to see how many they turn at this time interval but it wasn't possible. This goes on for the first three or four days, then the turning rate slows down to just under hourly as an average.
I've timed 5 hens in the house nest box and two in the maternity unit I have just outside my house.

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing your observations.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm going to be even more unhelpful and mention that studies have shown that hen gets a higher hatch rate than an incubator in the stated trials.
You should be able to find this data through google scholar.

I became very interested in what makes the perfect nest for a sitting hen and ran a few trials. I posted this short version as an article on BYC.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...e-make-a-sitting-hens-job-so-difficult.74389/
Yes, it really does make a difference.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I got my best hatch rates hand turning on their side ABOUT 5 times per day... in a still air bator.

Not all automatic turners are created equal... the one I currently have turns every two hours... it is upright and only moves about 1/4 of a turn each time... now that I'm putting it in writing... no wonder it decreased my hatch rate!

I have seen some auto turners that are on the side and I THINK do a full half turn every two hours. Originally I thought it was a worse design... but NOW I wonder!

I don't think turning is relative to absorbing the yolk since that takes place AT hatch... but yes to exposing the embryo to a new spot in the egg for available nutrients.

I also believe when I was hand turning (contrary to my fear), the short term temp drop of having the bator open... actually increased viability... Not the study I was looking for, but interesting none the less...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4868306/

 

[EliseTheFarmKid]

Once a day with an auto turner, three times without. Idk why I turn them with the automatic turners, I just read it in a guide somewhere once and it’s stuck with me.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Love reading all that that each have done

 

[R2elk]

I am curious as to what others are doing because I am about to set more eggs and am looking to improve my hatch rates.

There have been several studies on this which concluded the more often the eggs are turned the better it is for the hatch.

The old GQF 1200 series turn the eggs once every three hours. The new GQF Sportsman series now turn the eggs once every hour. There is at least one commercial incubator that allows the user to set the time interval for the turns. I don't remember which model or the lowest time interval allowed but I believe it was around every 40 or 45 minutes.

 

[Kris5902]

When I tried hand turning for goose eggs (infertile) I was doing 3x per day at about 8 hour intervals for my first hatch I used an auto turner for the little giant incubators I have

 

[Wezdin]

I turn 5 times a day, and had a 6/7 hatching rate not including infertile eggs.

 

[kdwellssr]

I am curious as to what others are doing because I am about to set more eggs and am looking to improve my hatch rates.

If you are wanting to improve hatch rates be sure to keep a eye on that Humidity. Very important to assure eggs don't get too dry inside. I started out with incubator in a shed w/o egg turner. I turned the eggs before I went to work and when I got home. Had a good results.

 

[LilyD]

I work 12 hour shifts so I turn right before I leave for work and then when I get home at night as I'm cleaning up. I use an auto turner for chicken eggs but on occasion will still do chicken eggs the same way as duck with turning a few times a day and have had good hatches that way as well.