Staggered hatching dates

[igorsMistress]

If you turn the eggs until day 16, then you can stop turning.

http://dev.biologists.org/content/develop/5/3/293.full.pdf
Identifies that the most critical period of chick egg turning is from 4th to 7th day.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.858.1743&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Finds that turning chick eggs beyond the 8th day doesn't improve hatchability.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2cff/e9d9281e036fd01344cfdcfff6e0014d8729.pdf
Even goes so far to saying that turning chick eggs beyond 12 days actually hampers hatchability rather then improve it.

@WVduckchick told me on another thread that when something called the CAM network is fully developed, then you can stop turning. I did some further research and found that for chick eggs, the CAM is fully developed by day 12, in line with the three papers above. For duck eggs, that day is day 16.

So I have stopped turning my eggs since day 16, and now at day 22, none have died on me yet (the last death was around day 13).

For hatching position, I'll look at the air cell shape on lockdown day. If it's saddle-shaped, then I'll hatch upright. If it looks normal, then I'll hatch on the sides.

Good luck.

Great info, thank you!!