Turning Eggs

[Doormantnt]

Got the mini-frige bator up and runnin and holding temp and humity. THANKS TO ALL YALL ON HERE!!!!!!!! but now to figure out the turning. I don't really want to eat the money on an automatic turner.

So questions are to turn by hand is 3 times a day really enough morning, afternoon, and before bed?? and if I use the carton method, does it matter if carton is elevated end for end, or side to side?? I'm thinking either a PVC frame on a tilt table, or simply a piece of wood under the carton (with wholes in bottem for air flow).

On another note to turn by hand, flat on wire screen is it just side to side?? X on one side and O on other for reference??

I'm pretty handy, so any ideas for auto turner, or semi auto turner will be appreicated, but I'm not sure of the basics of how an auto turner works. Degrees off center, range of movement, or how much pivot, call it what you will. If an egg is standing on pointed end straight up, how much does it need to move to count as turn???

Thanks in advance.

TNT

 

[Pascal PicklePants]

I built in a semi-auto turner, using a pvc pipe frame with a right angle handle sticking through the side. I have to turn them 3+ times a day, but I don't have to open it to do so. A far as turning angle, I had a hard time finding this info too. I finally read that the commercial incubators turn a total of 80-90 degrees. So 40 deg right and 40 deg left. I havnt measured my angle, but it looks to be about 35 deg.
All that being said, if I could fit an auto-turner in my bator, I would.

 

[Doormantnt]

Thanks Pascal, are you doing an egg carton in a PVC frame?? if so is the carton moving end for end, or side to side?? I have plenty of room in both directions, but not sure of height to get "up slope"

Thanks

TNT

 

[Pascal PicklePants]

The "axle" is pvc. The frame is actually an old peice of wire shelving that just happened to fit perfectly. I just screwed the shelving to the pvc pipe. I used a few zip ties to secure the egg cartons to the shelving. Mine are rotated end to end, but i don't think it would matter. Whatever works inside your bator. Mine is a 54 quart Coleman cooler that is much longer than it is wide, so end to end worked best for me. I knwo the pvc tray model you are refering to, It would work great and I would have done that, but I like to use what I have laying around gathering dust.

 

[Doormantnt]

Thanks again.

I think I got it sketched out. PVC frame to hold a carton, one legs setting on wire floor frame, with handle going thru side of fridge. I'm setting it up to side tilt an 18 carton, and actual egg movement should be almost 100 degress.

Now what is a turn?? is it down to center, or down to opposite down?? I assuming the full swing of about 100 degress. If the egg was flat then the 180 degree to other side is a turn right??

TNT

 

[Pascal PicklePants]

again, I remember thinking this very thing. I've been doing down to opposite down. Reason being, it more closely mimicks the amount of turn the hen would likely give. Not totally sure about that, but it's what I think.
Good luck