Move eggs out of egg turner for lockdown?

[mrbstephens]

I just finished my homemade bator! Now I'm wondering can I keep the eggs in the egg turner for lockdown? Would the chicks get hurt if they fell out? I wouldn't be able to remove the egg turner easily so I'm not sure about what to do. Here's a pic:

 

[debilorrah]

Yes you remove the turner for lockdown. Always. You can set the eggs on their sides or place them in egg cartons that have been cut up. If you do this, make sure you trim them down far enough so the chick can get out. This prevents the new chicks from rolling remaining eggs around.

 

[mrbstephens]

Quote:
It'll take me a good 10-15 mins to remove the egg turner that I made. Is that a problem? I mean the incubator will be open during this time and I may need to remove the eggs so they don't break. How much time do I get here before lock down?

 

[debilorrah]

No you are fine. I take my eggs out of the bator, bump up the water and close it while I am candling my eggs. This gives time for the humidity to build up while you are removing them from the turner and candling.

 

[_Randall_]

I've got a question on this, then............... I'm under the impression that the eggs should stay in the "upright" position (big end up) in the lockdown timeframe so they don't "drown" before hatching?????? Am I misunderstanding the process???

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
No, you don't need to do that. You can lay them down on their side, like the mama hen does .... that is fine.

Some people like to hatch in egg cartons, with the big end up, and that is ok too.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
No, you don't need to do that. You can lay them down on their side, like the mama hen does .... that is fine.

Some people like to hatch in egg cartons, with the big end up, and that is ok too.

What she said.... I use the cartons because my bator is small, and my first hatch, a new chick cracked an egg and it died. So I avoid that by using egg cartons. Last hatch I had one egg too many and it was on it's side and it hatched.

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
No, you don't need to do that. You can lay them down on their side, like the mama hen does .... that is fine.

Some people like to hatch in egg cartons, with the big end up, and that is ok too.

What she said.... I use the cartons because my bator is small, and my first hatch, a new chick cracked an egg and it died. So I avoid that by using egg cartons. Last hatch I had one egg too many and it was on it's side and it hatched.

Reason I'm asking, I've got a LG bator, with egg turner and quail rails. I've read where others say that the eggs need to be big-end-up all the way through lockdown because of the likelyhood of them drowning in the amniotic fluid if layed on their side

But, as you say, mamma hen doesn't stand them up big-end-up. I even went so far as to buying an extra set of quail rails so I can take the turner out as a complete unit, put the spare quail rails in so as to be able to keep the big end up. So, if I take them out of the turner for lockdown, and put the eggs on the wire, I'm gonna be OK with a successful hatch.......as much as I would with them upright in the quail rails?? Sorry, I'm confused.......

And I hope I'm not hijacking the thread with my questions. I apologize if it appears I am.

 

[_Randall_]

bump...

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quail might be different than chickens.

I hatched my chickens on their side.

I was under the imprssion that too high a humidity throughout the incubation process would cause the air bubble to be filled with fluid instead of air. In such a case, the chick may drown when they pip into the air bubble prior to actually breaking a pip in the shell. I do not know if the position of the egg would make any difference, if this is the situation for the egg (an air sack full of fluid).

Again, waiting for a quail response.