Too long in the turner///

[lifeteacher]

Is it a problem if I left the chicken eggs in the turner until day 19? No pips, good humidity. I really hope I haven't hurt them by leaving them in too long.

 

[lifeteacher]

I guess what I am really asking is, if there is a reason for taking them out of the turner early other than the possibility of an early bird?

 

[lazy gardener]

You stop turning, and remove them from the turner on day 18 b/c the chicks are getting into position to hatch. If the eggs continue to turn, the chicks have that extra motion to compensate for, and their positioning for hatch becomes more difficult. Also, you don't want chicks hatching in the turner b/c they may get tangled up in it, and most definitely will get egg goo all over it. That being said, it's not unusual for someone to mis calculate, and get up in the morning to find an early chick going for a joy ride in the turner. Don't forget to mark your air cells, lay the eggs with largest portion of the air cell facing up (if the air cells are the correct size for their age) and increase your humidity. If you find that your air cells are too small, you might want to hatch them upright in an egg carton. Have you read "Hatching eggs 101" in the learning center??? Excellent resource.

 

[Shannon bo]

How long can an egg sit before it goes into an incubator?, example if I want to put 24 in but takes a few days before I have that many?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I guess what I am really asking is, if there is a reason for taking them out of the turner early other than the possibility of an early bird?

As long as you have them out of the turner for hatching, you'll be ok. The turner can pose safety issues for little chickens' legs even if it's not turning. That is the main reason for people pulling them out and not hatching in them. Whether you stop turning day 18 or 19, it doesn't matter. Some people lock down day 19 instead of 18, not many, but there are a few. Generally people stop turning at day 18 in preparation of lockdowning down the bator by upping the humidity and not opening the bator once that's done. I'm not a hands off hatcher, so I don't practice "traditional" lockdown practices, but I do candle and up the huidity at day 18.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

How long can an egg sit before it goes into an incubator?, example if I want to put 24 in but takes a few days before I have that many?

Most hatchers will only set eggs collected within a week. Recommendations are 10 days and under and most people agree that after 2 weeks viability and hatch rates drop significantly.

 

[lifeteacher]

Thanks for your response. Here I am in the afternoon on day 22 and no pips and I am starting to worry : / I thought I heard two little peeps earlier today but I still have no pips. They are Speckled Sussex eggs if that makes a difference. I have always had early birds. What is the range of normal?