how often to turn eggs?

[MissPrissy]

The R-com! Wow, that is one cadillac of a incubator. I have heard great success stories from people who have those. I would let it run as it is programmed. The more the eggs are turned the less likely it is that a chick or the membrane will stick together.

 

[tebs78]

Wow thanks for the replies. I always read 4-6 times a day too. The R-Com has the trays and the floor moves like a conveyer belt (for lack of better term) and it moves from one side to the other once an hour so in effect, yes it rotates them. The eggs actually roll. I guess its hard to describe. It makes a chime, plays a little song and you can here when it turns.

I wish there was a way to set the machine to how many times to turn, but its not the pro and does not have the cables to connect to the computer. My husband was not THAT generous for xmas. I guess I should have gotten him the more upgraded GPS and he might have bought me the pro, lol

 

[NYREDS]

This, I'm sure, will shake some people up.
Just as an experiment I've [4 or 5 different times] not turned the eggs at all. Other times I've only turned every 2 or 3 days. Then there are the times I've turned 2-3 times per day and the times I've used incubators with auto-turners.
The results are always about the same.
The last time I tried not turning at all I set 18 Guinea eggs & hatched 15 of the 18!!
If you really observe a broody hen on a nest they don't really turn eggs too often & when the do move the eggs they seem to be adjusting them to make themselves more comfortable.
With ducks it's even more dramatic. My ducks are in outboor pens & they make their nests on the ground. I've seen duck eggs so deep in the dirt you'd have to pry them out with a stick to turn them-they hatched fine.
My advice, in your case, let the incubator do what it's set up to do. In a more general sense I advise people to not get too stressed about turning eggs. If you miss occasionally it's not the end of the world-if they;re gonna hatch they'll hatch.

 

[tebs78]

Nyreds, thanks for the info. good to know! I believe your right I had ducks too, and she just adjusted more than turned well the times I've seen her. It'd be so hard to turn.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

That's interesting that you've not turned eggs at all and got a hatch, Nyreds.

I just recently had eggs set in 2 bators (LG's with auto-turners).
The turner in one of them hung up somewhere between Day 5 and Day 10. I hand turned them after I noticed the turner had quit.
Every embryo in that bator was dead.
Candling at Day 18 showed a black 'blob' stuck to the shell at the same place in every one. By the size of the 'blob', I'd guess they died about Day 10. I didn't open any of them.

I blamed it on the turner stopping, but maybe I should be looking for another reason?

Thanks,
Lisa