Stop turning on day 15?? - A new book out says you only need to turn through day 14- hmmm?

[calichickies]

The latest edition of "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens" (pub. 2010) states on p284 (very last sentence): "Eggs need not be turned after the 14th day of incubation, and should not be turned during the last 3 days before the hatch...".
Has anyone done this? Tried lock down at just 14 days?
I'm scared to try it this time, but wondered if this was a typo in the book or if this is the *new* scientific information that's out there.
Anyone with any first hand knowledge out there?
I don't like the idea of doing something so new and different that I just read out of a book without prior advice from more experienced hatchers on here.
Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[yo burrill]

The general rule is till day 18 to turn. This not only keeps them from sticking to the shell but also exercises the chicks muscles so they are strong enough to stand when they hatch. Never heard of doing it at day 14. And if you upped your humidity that early there is a high likelyhood you would drown the chicks. Just my opinion....

 

[Zootopia]

I don't think it suggests you up the humidity sooner, just stop turning. I am forever forgetting to switch my turner back on after I shut the bator anyway, doesn't seem to make a big difference. I usually don't mess with mine till about the 14th day when I candle them.

 

[Christie Rhae]

I just read recently on an old timer thread that Storeys guide to chickens was total nonsense.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Not meaning to start any controversy, just an observation. I usually hatch several hundred to several thousand chicks a year, so I know just a little about hatching. Not an expert, but I do hatch a lot of chicks and have for many years with all kinds of incubators.

I personally stop turning at day 18. I have a few times in the past forgotten to turn off the auto turners and found chicks hatched out just fine and standing there on the turner on hatch day, I had the same average hatch rate as the eggs I stopped turning at day 18. The broody hens in the barn turn the eggs right up until the moment they hatch.

On chickens my humidity stays the same from setting day to hatch day. I only raise the humidity the final week on waterfowl, and then only when I remember to.

Years ago I had the auto turner quit in one of my cabinet incubators. It took a week to get the part in that I needed to fix it. All the other incubators were full so I just left that one running and had about half or a bit more hatch with lots more pip but not hatch. Not scientific because I can only think of that one time that a batch stopped being turned around day 14... but I personally wouldn't recommend it. Others might find a different result.

I take anything I read online OR in a book with a grain of salt. Even my experiences are just that... My experiences, yours might be totally different.

 

[calichickies]

Thanks everyone for the comments!

And Thanks Mississippi Farm Boy for sharing your vast experience with us newbies!

I really must say that has to be a blatant typo in that book that no one caught. I know science changes and generally improves over time... but we are talking hatching eggs here. Hens have been doing it for centuries... and as stated above they move those eggs up until they hatch.
Odd... who edited that book anyway?
*sigh*

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Thanks everyone for the comments!

And Thanks Mississippi Farm Boy for sharing your vast experience with us newbies!

I really must say that has to be a blatant typo in that book that no one caught. I know science changes and generally improves over time... but we are talking hatching eggs here. Hens have been doing it for centuries... and as stated above they move those eggs up until they hatch.
Odd... who edited that book anyway?
*sigh*

lol, Oh boy, I sure hope that was sarcasm....

I'm still learning more everyday. The more I learn the more I learn how little I really know.

 

[phoenix912]

I hand turn mine. I stop turning on day 14 and put them aircell up in egg cartons. I don't go into lockdown early. My hatch rate hasn't changed. I don't have as many Pip on the wrong end as I did before. Before you try anything new or different think about how much you have invested in the eggs. Decide if its worth it or not if something goes wrong. I am hatching my own eggs from my hens so if it goes bad I'm not out any money.

 

[calichickies]

lol, Oh boy, I sure hope that was sarcasm....

I'm still learning more everyday. The more I learn the more I learn how little I really know.

No sarcasm noted... yet. Ha!

You have some serious experience under your belt compared to me.
I'm in the middle of my very first hatch EVER. You've had maybe 500?? hatches over the past how many years??
Believe me I appreciate your help and wisdom very much.

Now if I could just think of something witty to say...

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:

just glad I could help.