PLEASE TURN MORE THAN 3 times a day! That is the absolute Minimum!!
Setting Eggs & Turning It is important to ALWAYS wash your hands before handling your hatching eggs!
It is likewise important to SANITIZE your incubator AND equipment before AND after use!
Omphalitis, yolk sack infection is caused by a bacterium that enters through the porous egg shell and easily kills embryo's and newly hatched chicks. Unfortunately, incubation conditions are ideal for breeding bacteria as well as incubating eggs.
Mark eggs, using a pencil, with an X on one side and an O on the other. Make sure to turn the eggs at least 3 times a day, or odd number of times. Turning by hand they should always be turned an odd amount of times and move them to a different part of the tray to protect them from temperature variation. You basically roll the eggs with your fingers/palm from X to O. It is important to NOT ROLL the eggs in the same direction every time. Improper rolling can cause the chalazae that holds the yolk in place to tear. Turning the egg prevents the embryo from touching and attaching to the membrane inside the egg. The most convenient way to turn eggs is to purchase an egg turner. Take extra precautions when turning eggs during the first week of incubation. The developing embryos have delicate blood vessels that rupture easily when severely jarred or shaken, thus killing the embryo.
Failure to turn eggs during incubation CLEARLY
reduces hatchability in every scholarly study and every clinical trial.
We were able to demonstrate that it is critical to turn eggs for at least the first three
days of incubation and better for the first seven. READ MORE HERE and HERE
Relevance of turning Written by Gerd de Lange see page for full info.....I FOUND the one that I actually understood here:
Broody hens provide optimum conditions for embryos developing in the eggs they are sitting on. The brood patch provides heat from one direction only, and the eggs at the side of the patch are cooler than those in the middle of the nest. However, because the broody hen regularly turns and moves the eggs in the nest, uniform egg temperature is achieved.
In commercial incubation, we try to mimic the natural conditions in the nest. From the point of view of uniform egg temperature turning of eggs seems to be of less importance in modern incubators. Are there other reasons for turning eggs?
As summarized by Deeming (2002), egg turning is essential to normal development for several reasons. Egg turning
Prevents adhesion of the embryo to the inner shell membrane.
stimulates the rate of development of the area vasculosa (the membrane which grows around the yolk and is rich in blood vessels). The area vasculosa is important for sub-embryonic fluid formation, as well as for yolk uptake later in incubation.
allows normal transfer of albumen proteins into the amniotic fluid, promoting optimum use of the albumen.
supports the growth of the chorio-allantois (the blood vessels right under the shell) to maximise oxygen absorption.
embryos in unturned eggs grow at a lower rate compared to embryos in eggs turned each hour over 90˚.
facilitates movements of the embryo into the normal hatching position and reduces the incidence of malpositions in unhatched embryos.
Advice
Check the turning device before the start of each incubation cycle, as turning failures, depending on the moment of occurence, are detrimental to results.
Check and maintain the turning device regularly, to prevent a breakdown during incubation.
Make sure that turning does not produce shocks or jolts, as this adversely affects hatchability and chick quality.
If necessary, check and adjust the turning angle: 45˚ is optimal.
Not turning for the first 12 hours in the setter is advised, based on our practical experience and especially when eggs are transported to the hatchery on the same day as setting. Eggs need some rest time to restore their ‘internal balance’.
Turning is not absolutely necessary after 15 days of incubation. Especially in incubators with insufficient cooling capacity, it can be beneficial to leave the eggs in a horizontal position to facilitate increased air flow (cooling over the eggs). In some modern setters, there is also the option of turning to three different positions, e.g. 45 minutes each in right, horizontal and left position).
Fertile hatchability was increased by turning 96 times per day compared to either 24 or 48 times per day. This improvement was due to a reduction in late embryonic mortality.
Sharing some research...... CAM= chorio-allantoic membrane Turning should be done through day 17 of incubation, after which the chick is positioning itself for the hatching process. The most important period is from day 1 through day 12, when the chorion and allantois are developing and eventually fuse, forming the chorioallantois. During this time the most critical period is from day 3 through day 7, when the circulatory system is developing and beginning to function. Researchers have found that turning is not necessary past as early as day 14 of chicken egg incubation, although most systems continue to turn the egg through days 17 to 19.http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G8353
need to see this in a clinical study or figure out how to read these references! Dekalb Hatchery Manual. 1990. Dekalb, Ill.: Dekalb Poultry Research Veterinary and Technical Services. Improving Hatchability, Taylor, Gib. 1994, Medina, Ohio: Chick Master Incubator Company.
Originally Posted by cochins1088
Ok, here's my goose egg. I'm 100% sure that it's on day 27 so it should hatch within the next 3 days. Temperatuers ran a steady 99.5 degrees checked using 5 different thermometers. Air cell development is perfect and I checked it by weighing the egg weekly. The emrbyo is also very active.
I will do anything to get this egg to hatch, so if you have any advice, please share. This egg doesn't look like it's ready to hatch.
Here's a top view. It looks normal, but there is more space in the small end of the egg.
Here's the clear spot in the small end of the egg that I was talking about. The inner membrane with blood vessels never reached it. The spot is stationary and does not move when I turn the egg.
Here's a better picture. You can see the clear spot, the membrane with the blood vessels, and then the dark area is the embryo.
Look at how little this chor membrane went down! hardly at all!
Here is the membrane from freshly hatched White Faced Spanish
see how the membrane has the veins in it outer near shell ??
CAM aka chorioallantoic membrane
they are not that big in this photo, but you get the idea, you just have tons of tiny veining in those eggs, and you can easily see they have no more blood it they do its been dried inside.
Good night everyone!
Twisted my knee earlier today, and the pain meds are kicking in.......zzzzzzzzzzz!
Have a good evening, I will catch up in the morning!