Turning the eggs during incubatoin

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374 can you clarify if when hand turning horizontal eggs you should turn in the opposite direction each time (180 to the left one time, 180 to the right the next time)?

Someone once said you turn forward one time and back the next, but I have to honestly say, most of the time mine get rolled the same way each time. I don't think broody hens keep track of turning left or right so I think our reasoning and nature collide.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Okay, thanks! I think when I read that, they said the embryo can get tangled, but what you are saying (about mama hen) makes sense. I think some people like to make things out to be fact or a hard rule so they can feel smarter than other people :/

 

[SovereignFarm]

We try to turn 3 times a day but some days if we are too busy only once. If you don't turn eggs embryo can grow stuck to inside of egg. Turning them back and forth keeps embryo in the middle of the egg. Turn only 90 degrees keeping pointy end down.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Turn only 90 degrees keeping pointy end down.

180, I thought.

I've read to mark an X on one side and an O on the opposite (or whatever two symbols you choose) so you can turn them the right amount.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Okay, thanks! I think when I read that, they said the embryo can get tangled, but what you are saying (about mama hen) makes sense. I think some people like to make things out to be fact or a hard rule so they can feel smarter than other people :/

They say the chalaza can get wound up. Going the same way.

180, I thought.

I've read to mark an X on one side and an O on the opposite (or whatever two symbols you choose) so you can turn them the right amount.

180 is proper if you have them laying down and are hand turning. 90 Degree angle if they are upright and being tilted from one side to the other.

 

[SovereignFarm]

180 can be done but is not as good as 90 degrees. You want to keep the air bubble up. If you do 180 air bubble is always on side of egg. Position egg straight then angle 45 degrees to 1 side. When you rotate 90 degrees it will be 45 degrees the other direction but air bubble is always up.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

180 can be done but is not as good as 90 degrees. You want to keep the air bubble up. If you do 180 air bubble is always on side of egg. Position egg straight then angle 45 degrees to 1 side. When you rotate 90 degrees it will be 45 degrees the other direction but air bubble is always up.

For horizontal eggs you want to turn them 180 degrees 3xs a day. The air cell should not be moving at all. If it's moving then it's a detached air cell and those are better off incubating upright and being tilted instead of laying down and being turned. Detatched air cells also hold a low hatch rate. IF they are upright then yes, you are going to be doing a 90 degree TILT to the eggs.

 

[SovereignFarm]

The more I think about it if you are planning on rotating 180 degrees just save yourself the trouble and don't rotate. 180 degrees doesn't effect the embryo placement. It keeps the same spot on top and it makes no difference if the bubble is pointing East or West, either way it is on the side.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The more I think about it if you are planning on rotating 180 degrees just save yourself the trouble and don't rotate. 180 degrees doesn't effect the embryo placement. It keeps the same spot on top and it makes no difference if the bubble is pointing East or West, either way it is on the side.

What the heck are you talking about?? Yes, it does matter and it does affect it, not only the chick development, but the development of the CAM as well as other things. It's not staying in the same spot. It's rotating from one side of the egg to the other. To not turn increases the developmental issues of the chicks, mortality rates and malposition rates. And I have no clue why you keep mentioning the "bubble" as the air cell is not the reason for turning the eggs. I don't think you get the picture of hand turning a horizontally laid egg.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Well I'm starting my first hatch in my LG 9200. Still air, no turner, nothing fancy. This will be my 3rd incubation but the first 2 were in the LG 9300 with turner no fan though.

What I'm gathering from reading is to roll each egg 180° every 8 hours. To make sure that the eggs get rolled half way over every time put differing marks on opposite long sides of the egg?