incubating chicken eggs

[pinkytyler]

i have been incubating eggs and always leave them for three days before turning them and then i was told today that i should turn them 3 times daily from the day i put them in any help would be great

 

[GardenDave]

As far as I know its the LAST three days you don't turn them. I don't see why it matters for the first week either because apparently it takes around ten days for cells to form, so I can't see why turning them before that happens would make any positive difference, but because I am not 100% about this I still turn them from day one anyway. The way I see it, turning them from the start MIGHT not do anything positive but MIGHT NOT means MIGHT, and so I do just in case it does help lol.

I turn mine every eight hours on the dot. I have my alarm set for 5:45 AM every morning to give me time to wake up a little by 6:00 AM and turn them on the hour, then on the hours at 2:00 PM and 10:00 PM, then I'm straight to bed ready to get up to turn the next morning lol. I quite enjoy it actually. It's a nice thing to do first thing in the morning, although it does make me realise that I have a bit of a zoo lol. For instance my morning starts like this and in this order.

Get up

Go down stairs
Go and let chickens out, feed and water

Go and feed and water silky and her chick (in my profile picture kept separate until chick is old enough to consider mixing with my existing four)

Go and feed and water rabbits

Go inside and feed and water dogs

Check and if required, feed fish

Turn eggs and check water tray

Check this website lol

....................and I want some goats too but Bec won't let me hahaha

 

[GardenDave]

They should add dogs and fish to the smilies list lol

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I have always turned eggs daily until 3 days before hatch. Don't worry about being too precise. Mama hen doesn't go by a schedule when she turns.