Using auto turners

[Caprice_Acres]

I have an old incubator that works great and I've always turned eggs by hand. It has 4 racks and could probably hold a couple hundred chicken eggs in it. It has shelves with moving bottoms as the turning mech, but it doesn't work well. I admitedly don't get down there enough to turn eggs as I should, and I'm having terrible trouble haching eggs, waterfowl in particular. Chicken eggs do OK but not great.

Anywho, I'm wanting to get automatic turners, but since I've never owned any I had a few questions.

First of all, how much clearance do the auto turners need to function? The racks on my incubator are fairly close together but I was considering making my own racks for it.

Secondly, how many trays can a single motor handle at once? Or will I need a motor for every single 'set' of turner trays?

Also, what size turners would guinea eggs fit into? I have guineas who will hit laying age this year, and I haven't ever even seen a guinea egg.

 

[scbatz33]

Are you wanting to get one specifically designed for your incubator? Or are you just wanting to buy some? I have one for my 1588 and it fits 42 eggs. It's about 1/2 an egg high - yeah that helps. I know. I'll go measure it.


ETA - at tallest point, it is 3 1/2 inches

 

[Caprice_Acres]

Thanks!

I'm just looking at different types right now. My incubator is approximately from the '50s so I doubt that I could buy a turner made for it.

Are your turners the ones that are for like the styrofoam 'bators? And is that how much operational clearance they need?

We were poking around at the different things on this site:

http://www.utm.edu/departments/cece/idea/incu.shtml

And my dad thinks he might be able to make at turner fairly easily after seeing these. We've never even SEEN an automatic turner so it'll be a fun attempt, lol.

 

[scbatz33]

Yes. Mine is for the styrofoam incubator. 3 1/2 to 4 inches is the clearance needed for it to fit and turn

 

[Jake1297]

The Little Giant egg turner is 15" x 15" square and 3-1/2" tall with eggs stopped in the center during operation. As for quail eggs, they sell a quail egg thingy that fits to turn quail eggs. Looking at your picture I'm sure it would fit with extra room to spare.

 

[Caprice_Acres]

If you're talking about the link, those aren't my pictures or incubators - it's someone else's website.

 

[Jake1297]

Caprice_Acres,
Sorry I misread and thought it was yours. But you can take the dimensions and see it would fit yours.