Re: Automatic Egg turners

[pudellvr]

I have been reading old posts and looking at homemade versions of the egg turners.

The way I understand the turning scheme is that eggs should be rotated from east to west at a 45 degree resting angle.

Could eggs be rotated successfully with the narrow end rotating on an axis? My thought was placing the carton on a platform with a lazy susan type rotation underneath. Using a large enough bearing could get appropriate angle.

OK, I have never actually hatched eggs. Planning to do so this fall. Just wondered if this idea could work.

Trish

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Wow that is some real thought youve put in there.

The whole idea is to physically keep the yolk from sticking to the membranes inside the shell. Ideally, this means physical rotation around the longitudinal axis.
The directions for turning eggs always read like this:

{{ Mark the egg with an "X" and "O," one each on opposite sides of the egg. Then rotate twice to 5 times per day, exchanging markings each time. SO first time you see an "x," next time an "o" and so on.}}

Or something close to that. AS you can see, this is an actual, physical turning of the egg.

Motor driven auto turners are really auto tilters and, to be honest, Im not yet convinced they are superior to the real thing - hand turning.
This is pretty basic stuff here. I'd suggest that if there was a better way, it would have been done already. But, there is one sure way to test your theory - give it a shot.

 

[robinaggie]

OK, I want to throw my question in here: do you turn the eggs the same direction each time. I was rotating mine clockwise every time I turned, rather than going back & forth. They're hatching right now, so it must not have harmed them, but is this right?

 

[Harley's girl]

I flip mine end over end. It might not be the way everyone else does it but I have watched my hens and they seem to flip it too.

 

[Davaroo]

We do tend to overthink things, don't we? I know I did.
Which way to turn; right or left? End over end? What if I dont turn them the same amount each time?
Should I align them with the magnetic meridian?What about phases of the moon? I had the same questions.

Then I met a guy who has hatched more chickens and other birds than any of us ever will, combined. He said,
"Man, dont mess with all that foolishness. Think about the hen; she dont fool with all that. She just pushes them around as best she can.
Just reach in and carefully roll them around with your hand. You just want them to move some - they dont have to be oriented with the planets or anything like that!"

SO thats what I did. I quit stressing and havent written "X" or "O" on an egg since.

 

[SusanJoM]

Harley's girl :

I flip mine end over end. It might not be the way everyone else does it but I have watched my hens and they seem to flip it too.

Now that is information to warm a foolish heart. That is exactly what we have been cautioned NOT to do....And for you it works. Oh my !!!!

I thought I had lost my first batch of eggs simply because I took them out to candle them and turned them upside down to my homemade candler. Now you're saying you do this day after day.....End over end....wow.....

I do have a turner, and if I didn't, I would still probably roll them side to side, but....still I'm impressed....

Who'd a thunk it??????

S​

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
The developing egg is most susceptiblae to damage in the first week. After that it is pretty resilient to handling. Candling after that doesnt do much harm.
This whole thing only serve to reinforce what I learend from my friend - there is little cast in stone and the movement is the thing.

 

[Harley's girl]

I turn them 3x's a day end over end and I have had 100% hatch rate! I have also had like one out of 14 hatch. (Those were shipped eggs) I guess I try not to over think it....I know my hen sure doesn't.

LOL
I use the turners in 2 of the bators and the other bator I turn by hand until the turner comes available. Works for me. Just give it a try and see what works for you. I use the trial and error method too.

Good luck and most importantly.....................HAVE FUN!!!

 

[SusanJoM]

Quote:
Which, of course, 'splains why we have so much trouble with shipped eggs....hmmmph....

Susan

 

[SusanJoM]

"If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative at 40, you have no head." - - Winston Churchill

So, was WC not yet 60 when he wrote/said this?
I wonder what he would have/did say about that next step????

Susan