Incubating and a fan

[dustponds10]

Well i was told that if i want to be succesfull hatching turkeys then I need to get a fan for my bator. Is this true? I have an automatic turner and I can keep the temp at a temp with low temp swings. Are there any out there that incubate turkeys with a still air incubator?

 

[OmaBird]

I have both. I don't use a turner because I set more eggs than a turner will hold, and I like to be more involved with the eggs. I turn by hand. I don't notice having a bigger hatch out of one or the other. They both give me good hatches. I do have to add water more often to the one with a fan. Other than that they seem the same. The pictures I posted of my last hatch in a post below was from a fan incubator (Havabator).

 

[dustponds10]

Ok, here is the question I have with turning them by hand, how on earth do you do it while having a job? How many times is a minimum to turn them? I am at work for 12 hours for 3 days a week. I just dont understand how I would do it with my work scheduel? If you have any insites to help me with this it will help me with my chickens and other gamebirds as well. Thanks

 

[OmaBird]

I have not worked in 33 years so the only thing I can add is one time I went on vacation and thought my daughter was turnning my eggs for me. She forgot them. The eggs where never turned in 10 days or adding any water and they still hatched. I almost threw the eggs away thinking they would be bad.

I turn my eggs when I get up. They are in my bedroom. Before dinner I turn them again. Before I go to bed, when it is dark, I candle them and remove any bad ones. Thats about it. It is not as difficult or calulated as many people make it out to be. I think alot of people mistake is they add to much humidity and drown the poults. They kill them with kindness. They can take a little neglect and they might be better off.

 

[dustponds10]

Awesome, I appericate the help. So do you think that I would be ok if I turned them when I wake up in the morning 530, when I get home from work 8 pm and around 12? I doubt it but just getting opinions. thanks.

 

[OmaBird]

I think it would work fine. I remeber a guy who I bought some show birds fromn years ago telling me he turned his eggs twice a day with good results. I also have read that some chickens do not always turn the eggs like some people think. If you mark the eggs under hens you might not see much turning at all.

 

[dustponds10]

Well alright then Ill just keep my eye out for a turner in the mean time I will get some turkey eggs and start. What is teh humidity for them? I have the temp set but just let me know again the humidity, well and the temp for turkey eggs and It will be all fine and dandy.

 

[OmaBird]

All I do is fill water in the second trough as close as I can figure the last three days would be. I have no idea what that would be and I hatch a ton of babies. I sure people here will tell you. I could care less what it is. I just follow the direction on the havobator and it works. I keep things very simple. I keep the vent plugs in at all times. I buy my incubators on E-bay. I am having two more delived Monday because I hate wasting eggs. I have had better hatches with them than my girlfriend that has the expensive sportman incubator. He is the directions that I have. http://www.gqfmfg.com/pdf/Thermal Hova-Bator instructions.pdf

 

[ColbyNTX]

Hatching eggs is not as tricky as some people make it out to be. I have a big cabinet incubator that is forced air but I think still air is better for hatching. The fan seems to dry the slow hatchers and shrink wrap them in the shell. The are many people who move the eggs from the $600.00 sportsman or Dickey's and lockdown in a havabator or LG still air for this reason. I'm in the middle of a turkey and chick hatch right now and one of my turkeys has been pipped and zipped for 24 hours and I think he will be dried out because of the fan eventhough the humidity is 66%. If you keep the temp good and and humidity good and turn them, they will hatch if they are good eggs fan or no fan.

 

[dustponds10]

Ok so what does everyone suggest on turning? How many times a day. Some say 2 some say 3 others alot more. I am a beginner and am open for suggestons.