what day do you remove the auto turner?

[digitalsniper]

I was just thinking, that with all those eggs in a row, how the heck would a chick hatch and not get crushed over the first few hours? Once they start pipping do you remove the turner and just leave them lying on the wire mesh? Do they still need to be big end up? Do they need to be turned the last days? lol.

Questions questions questions... After reading several pages on hatching i havent seen answers to those, so sorry if its a repeat.

DS

 

[Cetawin]

speckledhen and I just had this discussion...they hatch on day 21, should pip on day 20 and the turner should come out 3 days before hatch or Day 18. Lay the eggs gently on their side on the floor no more turning them. Be carefully removing the turner because the trays slip out really easy and you do not want the eggs falling onto the floor. I put a piece of shelf liner over my wire mesh floor to make it softer for their feet.

My incubator instructions say remove the turner or stop turning the eggs 2 -3 days before hatch.


Good luck. This is my first time so i have questions too.

 

[digitalsniper]

Perfect Answer... Thanks... Now lets just hope i didnt nuke my eggs yesterday with the temp spike.
Oh and i like the shelf liner idea. I just happen to have a roll of it stuffed in a drawer.

DS

 

[GaNewChick]

I remove my turner on day 18 and place paper towels on the bottom ~ laying them on their sides. I also add an extra sponge to keep the humidity up if needed. I always candle on day 18 before I lock down.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
Yup I had a roll that I bought for the ducklings when they arrived. Great stuff. Cut it to size, wash it in a light bleach solution to disinfect it, rince it really well, squeeze it out and put it in...if it is wet it will not matter because you are going to add more water for those last 3 days anyway so it will only add to the humidity.

You can see mine under the turner here...it is a light brown/beige I left that edge on the left uncovered so I can easily refill my water troughs when needed. When I moved the eggs onto it, I do not think that little area will matter a bit.

 

[EagleTheHenpecked]

Alright so i have a little Giant incubator made out of Styrofoam. i have an auto egg turner in it and my eggs are due to hatch on the 4th. my question is, when the time comes to take the turner out, im afraid that by having the incubator open for so long while im trying to get the turner out and put the eggs back in that i'll compromise the heat of the eggs or jostle them enough to kill them. is this a legitimate worry? this is my first time incubating and i've come too far to have them just die now. perhaps im being too overprotective and paranoid but i'd rather hear it from you guys who seem to know what you're doing. Thank you very much.

 

[AlienChick]

I have the same paranoia every time I go into lockdown.
I’ve never had any problems, but I still feel the same.
I do my best to gently and carefully transfer the eggs while doing it as quickly as I can.

 

[waw]

what should i do for a hovabtor incubator with the automatic turner

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
You can lie them on their sides or you can put them upright (fat end up of course) in cut-down egg cartons. It doesn't make much difference to average hatch rates either way and seems to just be a matter for personal preference. Whatever way you place them, the chicks will wriggle its way round into the appropriate hatching position. You don't turn them the last few days because the chicks is orienting itself within the egg, and if you do move them, you kind of interrupt their positioning and potentially compromise their ability to hatch successfully. That said, if you do place the eggs on their sides, the first chick to hatch will most likely kick ten bells out of all the remaining eggs and roll them all over the bator floor, and that doesn't seem to damage them...

 

[ladyomaha]

Those are Great Questions, and some of those I had myself, Thanks for all the Great answers you all provide to us Newbies. I read alot of posts on here, and I think I am gonna have a Hatch for once...lol.... Fingers crossed. Lots of Mistakes the first 2 months of this, but looking better on my end