I am on day 18 and i know i need to take the turner out...how? Do i just open the bator, take the turner out, put the sponge back in with the thermometer, and thats it? should i candle today too? I have never hatched before so i have no idea what i am doing... LOL
Yes, but also keep an eye on temp and humidity because less the air space taken from the turner, temps may stabilize slightly different from before. You may have to fine tune temp and humidity a bit!
Put eggs in a carton small end down and set aside. Unplug the turner and take it out. You can either put the carton of eggs in the bator and let them hatch from the carton or just lay each egg on it's side in the bator. Fill water resivours and moisten sponge and lay inside. This is the big one ! Close the bator and do not open again until hatch is completed ! This is sooo important because opening the bator after this point will shrink wrap your chicks on the inside ( loss of humidity ) and they will not be able to pip the shell. Even when some hatch don't open to take them out. They can stay in bator for 2 to 3 days after they hatch as they have just taken in the yolk sack and it will take them several days to digest it. They will be running around pecking on the unhatched eggs and rolling them around if they are not in a carton. (That's why some people like to set them to hatch in the carton small end down).
