What's with the "Stacker" no turn hatching methods?

MadamContrary

Crowing
8 Years
Mar 22, 2013
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Very South Texas
I'm a member of a couple incubation groups on FB and there's a group called "Stacker Hatchers" they advocate no turning at all and place eggs from any number of types of fowl all together. I've always been under the impression that turning is vital for days 3-14 for normal development. Quail seem more tolerant of less turning, but anyone tried or had success with this new (to me at least) method?
 
I have to say, the more I go through the posts in that stacker group it is all problems. Curled toes and major humidity issues. Late term deaths... It all seems so obvious (to me at least) that it's because of the excess of eggs in a small space and lack of turning. The people who are using it already had pretty abysmal hatch rates prior to using it, at least those who are posting. I'm trying not to be judgemental, but dang, all those poor little peepers ☹️ I don't do incubation experimentally because I'd feel terrible if I caused undo suffering. I hate culling chicks.
 
I don't mind culling deformed chicks (I raise livestock not pets) but I'm not wasting time, money, and energy on a method that clearly doesn't work.

Momma birds rotate their eggs. If they didn't need it they would do like reptiles and build nests in holes covered in dirt or rotting material to keep the eggs warm. I bet a momma bird doesn't enjoy the stress of hatching.

Sorry but the more I think about it this is one of the more stupid ideas I seen stem from FB.
 
I don't mind culling deformed chicks (I raise livestock not pets) but I'm not wasting time, money, and energy on a method that clearly doesn't work.

Momma birds rotate their eggs. If they didn't need it they would do like reptiles and build nests in holes covered in dirt or rotting material to keep the eggs warm. I bet a momma bird doesn't enjoy the stress of hatching.

Sorry but the more I think about it this is one of the more stupid ideas I seen stem from FB.
Agreed. The only reason I even became aware of it was because a member is also in my quail group and she wouldn't stop pushing the idea, so I looked into it.
 
Mama hens turn their eggs 96+ times per day. Commercial hatcheries turn 24 times a day. If stacking was a better method, they'd be doing it :rolleyes: I recently read a bunch of studies about optimal egg turning rates and the benefits of turning for the embryo and for hatchability. It made me turn my incubator up to the max, which is only 8x a day.
 

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