Turning EMU eggs

[Grassman 52]

When incubating Emu eggs with an auto-turner, do you also "flip" the egg once a day like with goose and duck eggs?

 

[Yoda]

I turn my eggs 3 times a day when I can. Every 8 hours is best and I set up my time as follows: 10pm, 6pm and 2am. If I am falling asleep before 2 I will just turn the egg before bedtime. Be sure to mark the egg X on one side and O on the other. For my eggs X gets turned clockwise and O is counter clockwise this way I know which way to turn the egg. You will turn it back and forth NOT round and round

 

[Calla]

I turn Emu and Rhea eggs at least 5 x daily, but all other eggs are controlled Auto, after all, most broodies turn them every hour, at least my silkie do.
Calla

 

[ES Emus]

We hand turn our eggs three times a day: first thing in the morning 5:50-6:00 Am, when we get home from work, :4:45-5:00 PM and before we go to bed 9:30-11:00. As you can see, our turning scheduule is not really consistent, but despite that, we have a vey high hatch success rate. No flipping, just rolling one way, then the opposite way on the next set of turns.

 

[yinepu]

5 times a day here.. also rocking back and forth.. no flipping needed for ratites

 

[Grassman 52]

OK - now I have to explain what I meant by flipping.

When you use an auto-turner - the eggs lay horizontal and move side to side , but never the full 180degrees you get in a hand turn.

so what I was asking is; those of you that use auto-turning do you also turn (roll not "flip" ) the eggs once a day the 180 degrees and then back the next day - This is the way we do goose and duck eggs (just like hand turning with the X and O on each side).

 

[yinepu]

OK - now I have to explain what I meant by flipping.

When you use an auto-turner - the eggs lay horizontal and move side to side , but never the full 180degrees you get in a hand turn.

so what I was asking is; those of you that use auto-turning do you also turn (roll not "flip" ) the eggs once a day the 180 degrees and then back the next day - This is the way we do goose and duck eggs (just like hand turning with the X and O on each side).

ok.. let me try to explain

When I mark an emu egg I do not use X & O

When I get ready to put them into the incubator I put a tag on one side .. for example A, B, C, D and so on


So the egg is placed in the bator with the letter facing UP.. in this case the first egg was A

The first time it is turned I turn it to the RIGHT so the A is now on the bottom of the egg facing the incubator

the second time it is turned I roll it back to the LEFT so the A is facing back on top

the third time it is turned the egg is rolled to the LEFT again so the A is back on the bottom

The fourth time I turn it the egg is rolled back to the RIGHT so the A is back on the top

and the fifth time the egg is turned for the first day it is rolled to the RIGHT once more so the A is on the bottom


The next day the process starts over with the A starting out on the bottom and the egg being rolled back to the LEFT so the A will be back on the top

 

[Grassman 52]

Thank you - I read some old posts and I can see that hand turning is the method of choice.

If anyone out there is using an auto-turning in a cabinet incubator please drop me a note.

 

[OrangeJuice]

Since emu air cells are i the side of the egg instead of the top how does someone locate the air cell in an emu egg so they know which way to place the egg?

 

[yinepu]

Since emu air cells are i the side of the egg instead of the top how does someone locate the air cell in an emu egg so they know which way to place the egg?

the air cells are at the large end of the egg (for those eggs which are not football shaped.. otherwise they are at one of the two pointy ends)

and since they are laid on their sides for incubation.. it really doesn't matter