Is it okay to leave eggs to hatch in an auto turner?

[howfunkyisurchicken]

That's the question. I have to admit, I'm an auto turner newbie, but I splurged and got myself one this year! I've always just turned them by hand. Anyway, I only have one incubator, so if I take the turner out at lockdown, I'm assuming I'd have to fiddle with the temp on my incubator to get it to where its supposed to be if the eggs have to sit lower (the specs for the turner say its 3" high). I REALLY don't want to have to do that. The trays are supposed to be dishwasher safe, so I assume its okay to just leave the eggs in it? My bator is an LG with its accompanying turner. Thanks in advance!

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you have a forced air the temperature should not change. In a still air, it will so you might need to fiddle with it a bit. LG makes both still air and forced air.

The reasons to consider taking the egg turner out.

1) Clean-up. If you are willing to put it through your dishwasher, not a problem for you.

2) My turner (different one from yours) has a lot of sharp corners a chick could get a leg or wing caught in. I would not want mine in there when the chicks are crawling around.

 

[MrsBachbach]

That's the question. I have to admit, I'm an auto turner newbie, but I splurged and got myself one this year! I've always just turned them by hand. Anyway, I only have one incubator, so if I take the turner out at lockdown, I'm assuming I'd have to fiddle with the temp on my incubator to get it to where its supposed to be if the eggs have to sit lower (the specs for the turner say its 3" high). I REALLY don't want to have to do that. The trays are supposed to be dishwasher safe, so I assume its okay to just leave the eggs in it? My bator is an LG with its accompanying turner. Thanks in advance!

I would not leave a turner in the incubator at hatch. Way to many areas for a chick to get in a serious bind. They literally flop and flip all over the place after hatch. Imagine one getting stuck under the rails or between the rails and you having to open it up to free him and then ruin the rest of your hatch. Take that thing out.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Ugh. Okay, pretty much what I was thinking. Honestly, I haven't gotten the turner yet, its still in the mail somewhere. So, I haven't had a chance to look it over. I think I may just go and buy a second incubator to use as a hatcher. Mine is a still air, and its pretty finicky when it comes to making adjustments, so I don't want to have to be messing with the temperature at lockdown. Thanks guys, at least I asked this question BEFORE I'd even set eggs rather than at lock down time

 

[sdm111]

Yeah definately try to get another incubator for a hatcher. In the future u can also do staggered hatches with no problems.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Yea, that was another thought in the back of my head. I sometimes end up doing staggered hatches, so I really do NEED a second bator

 

[sdm111]

Yep need no way around it

 

[ChickenGuy53]

It is but if u can u should turn the turner of when their hatching so their legs don't get caught.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

It is but if u can u should turn the turner of when their hatching so their legs don't get caught.

The turner needs to be turned off at day 18. The eggs shouldn't be turned after that so that the chicks can get into position to hatch on hatch day.

While you can hatch in the turner, it's not something I would do. I feel the less in the incubator at hatch time the better off you are. I had a new chick chip it's beak in the bator a few hours after hatch, I believe on the digital thermometer I had in there. There were 7 or 8 that had hatched and they were pushing each other around, climbing on everything. So I am not comfortable with floppy chicks and extra mechanisms at hatch.