turning eggs

[veggiecanner]

I didn"t want to spend enough to buy one with a turner so I am hand turning. I have read any where fom 3 to 8 times per day. I m turning 4 times a day . this is my first hatch. I am having more trouble with candeling than making sure their turned.

 

[loveourbirds]

I didn"t want to spend enough to buy one with a turner so I am hand turning. I have read any where fom 3 to 8 times per day. I m turning 4 times a day . this is my first hatch. I am having more trouble with candeling than making sure their turned.

candleing takes more practice to master. the best way I have found for me (chicken eggs), is to candle on day 10. on day 10 if the eggs are developing correctly, the egg will be almost half full of a dark mass. I candle again on day 18 when I move them to hatch position. they will be nearly full, with a well developed air cell.

as a first time hatcher I was like a kid the night before Christmas, I tried candling as early as day 3-4 just to see the developments in the egg. here is something to think about, a hen when she sits her eggs will get up to eat, use the bathroom. she normally takes 15-20 minutes a day doing this. I recommend opening your incubator 15 or so minutes a day to be more like the hen, your chicks will be stronger, the extra burst of oxygen is definatly good for a developing egg. if you don't move your eggs around a lot, this would be a good time to candle. I wouldn't do every egg every day, and switch what eggs you check. this will effect your hatch, so its not a practice I would recommend. but I do remember the beginner's curiosity.

best of luck with your hatch!

 

[tec27]

My best hatches are when i dont worry about the eggs. I dont turn as often, i don't candle every day, i don't keep trying to correct the temperature or humidity. I just let them go. I put the eggs in at around 99 degrees in my brinsea. Dont turn for 3 days. On the 4th day i turn. Then i turn again when i remember. usually on day 6. Then turn again whenever. Im so inconsistent with turning. Honestly i dont know if im wrong or not but for me this works. When i turned 3-5 times everyday i would get horrible hatch rates. I just try to be completely numb during the hatching process because my OCD will kick in and ill end up getting a bunch of quitters or late deaths.

 

[loveourbirds]

My best hatches are when i dont worry about the eggs. I dont turn as often, i don't candle every day, i don't keep trying to correct the temperature or humidity. I just let them go. I put the eggs in at around 99 degrees in my brinsea. Dont turn for 3 days. On the 4th day i turn. Then i turn again when i remember. usually on day 6. Then turn again whenever. Im so inconsistent with turning. Honestly i dont know if im wrong or not but for me this works. When i turned 3-5 times everyday i would get horrible hatch rates. I just try to be completely numb during the hatching process because my OCD will kick in and ill end up getting a bunch of quitters or late deaths.

ive seen to many people try to hard to hatch chicks and kill the whole hatch. a little fluctuation in temperature is fine, ive had my turners quit and may have not realized it for days, and my hatches still came out. the instructions that comes with your incubator should be thought of more as a general guideline. ive never seen a hen who wears a watch, carries a thermometer or hygrometer, ive never seen a hen with a flashlight candleing her eggs either.

just think of yourself as the hen, you will be just fine.

 

[annanimal]

My best hatches are when i dont worry about the eggs. I dont turn as often, i don't candle every day, i don't keep trying to correct the temperature or humidity. I just let them go. I put the eggs in at around 99 degrees in my brinsea. Dont turn for 3 days. On the 4th day i turn. Then i turn again when i remember. usually on day 6. Then turn again whenever. Im so inconsistent with turning. Honestly i dont know if im wrong or not but for me this works. When i turned 3-5 times everyday i would get horrible hatch rates. I just try to be completely numb during the hatching process because my OCD will kick in and ill end up getting a bunch of quitters or late deaths.

What kind of brinsea incubator do you have?

 

[tec27]

What kind of brinsea incubator do you have?

I just got the brinsea octagon eco 20. It holds the temp very well so i dont have to worry about that anymore. But before that i used a homemade incubator which the temp varied like crazy on. I still have to turn the brinsea cuz i didnt get the automatic turner.

 

[annanimal]

Ok thanks, i am thinking of getting the mini advance.

 

[tec27]

Ok thanks, i am thinking of getting the mini advance.

Brinsea is great. Makes hatching much easier.

 

[annanimal]

Ok good, i am not making a mistake than by spending all my money on the incubator and the brooder right?

 

[loveourbirds]

Ok good, i am not making a mistake than by spending all my money on the incubator and the brooder right?

it is best to go ahead and pay for good equipment. you can spend the money on good eggs/poultry after you get things set up. ive seen to many people buy the cheapest incubator they could get then spend $75 or more on a dozen eggs that don't hatch.