Ideal Egg Turning????

[Lonetree]

What is the ideal amount to turn eggs per day (Once, Twice... Hourly )?

Does this vary throughout the incubation process?

Most auto turners I have seen tip the eggs one way then the other. Looks to be about 40-45 degrees each side of plum. A hen sitting on the eggs would have them laying flat. Is it just human intervention that discovered to place them small down, Big up? or to hard to make turner laying eggs flat?, or hatchery's can hatch more per batch with them upright?

Would a turner that left eggs flat and rolled them be better?

The reason for all the questions is I plan to build my own incubator.

 

[paddock36]

I built my own incubator and I turned them 3 times a day.

 

[Junkmanme]

GOOD Questions regarding Hen action compared to incubator practice!

Being also a "newbie" regarding incubating, I eagerly await the answers to your astute questions. PERHAPS someone is aware of an Ag University study done on this regarding the "relative differences" in human machine incubating vs the actions of a broody hen !!!

U. of Miss and Texas A & M , amongst several others have produced some VERY INFORMATIVE research papers on questions such as this!

IF there are no serious papers on a University level on this question, PERHAPS some aspiring student will decide to take up this question in a controlled experiment in pursuit of University requirements!

Just watching for some good answers along with you! Hearsay is really only "hearsay". But, good practical experience might answer these questions in an understandable and reasoned manner.

Optimum egg-turning? I dunno, but, I've seen here that some folks turn the eggs an "odd number" of times each day on the theory that during the night, when they are not turning, the eggs sit differently each night.

like I said, I dunno.

-Junkmanme-

 

[Emilys3guppies]

I've heard a minimum of 3 times a day, but more is better...always an odd number so that the long stretch at night isn't on the same side every night.

I've heard that a hen will rearrange her eggs every 18-22 minutes. Maybe someone can back me up on that though, as it was just word of mouth from a neighbour.

 

[Barred Rocker]

I try to turn mine 5 times a day, but I'm not working right now so that would probably be unrealistic for the career man or woman. I think the rule of thumb is at least once every 8 hours minimum that gives you 3 times a day. That's a good question about the broody hen. I've often wondered that myself, how does she know each egg was turned properly and in the right position. Somehow they get it right.

 

[Lonetree]

How often does a good sittin hen turn the eggs?

 

[Junkmanme]

I've heard it said that a "broody hen" will turn eggs an average of once each 20 minutes...but I don't know how they came to that information. I'm sure that if they asked the hen........she just gave them a "go-to-hades" look!

just what I've picked up............

-Junkmanme-

 

[Lyz]

I turn mine 3 times a day...early morning...then hubby turns them around dinner time and then i turn them when i come home from work....it is about every 8 hours...and so far we are having great hatches...only losing maybe 3% of our eggs...most of which never start to begin with....Lonetree...here is a pic of my homemade egg turner...hope it will inspire you..its kinda cheesy...but it is working great...Lyz

 

[Lonetree]

That is a very neat idea there. Do you have it set so they all turn at once?

 

[Junkmanme]

Lonetree, I was wondering the SAME thing.

But, in-so-far as I can tell when viewing the pictures......There is no apparent apparatus to connect each row of egg-holders to one-another for simultaneous turning.

PERHAPS it is just our view of the pictures.......

It would seem VERY SIMPLE to take this FINE ARRANGEMENT and make a "manual" turner which wouldn't require opening the incubator.....OR even a MOTORIZED, timed, turner with the motor and timer OUTSIDE the incubator and connected with only a stiff wire such as a clothes-hanger.

-Junkmanme-