Incubating (and hatching) flat or on end?

[Storybook Farm]

I have been hatching my own eggs for two seasons now in Incuview incubators. The egg position is horizontal, and the egg turner mechanism rolls the eggs first one way and then the other (up to six times/24 hour period, depending on how you set it). Sometimes the eggs turn 90 degrees to the turner, so I have to manually reposition them, which is a bit of a pain.

I have had pretty good hatches... averaged 18 of the 27 laid, of which 4-6 were infertile--I'd like better... but one thing I noticed was that one or more eggs in each hatch pipped in the wrong place and never made it out of the egg.

I'm now looking at cabinet hatchers, one of which is the Incuview XL (launched several years ago on a small scale, being improved now, and due to re-launch this fall). I LOVE that it has a clear top over the hatching tray, which Incuview placed at the top of the incubator. Brilliant, imho. But, it also has the same horizontal turning trays. So, I'm wondering about those of you who use cabinet incubators and set eggs in a vertical position. I assume you hatch horizontally... correct me if I'm wrong. Do you frequently see pips at the middle, or narrow end, of your eggs?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

What is the source of your eggs? I've only had odd pips in shipped eggs.

 

[Storybook Farm]

My own hatching eggs.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

I've used both the Incuview turner and a regular Hovabator turner in my cabinet and can't tell a difference in the hatches. The one time I had problems was when I used the Incuview turner and then tried to hatch the eggs upright. It was a disaster.

 

[Storybook Farm]

Thanks! That's reassuring.