Why do I need to turn eggs in an incubator?

Those who decided to breed poultry, at first face a huge number of questions. So, many do not know why to turn the eggs in the incubator, and how often it should be done.

Why do I need to turn eggs in an incubator?

Turning the eggs in the incubator is necessary to ensure the full development of the embryo. This action gives the chicks the opportunity to get the right amount of heat in time to hatch on time. If everything is done according to the rules, a timely coup will save the chicks from hypothermia, and they will not stick to the walls of the egg.

There were cases when poultry farmers unknowingly rarely turned the eggs in the incubator, which inevitably led to the death of the embryos. This is due to the fact that a clear temperature regime is not observed, and the desired humidity is not maintained in the incubator.

In some cases, the eggs do not need to be turned over?

According to experts, the eggs should be turned over only until the moment when the incline begins. After this, the eggs are laid on their sides, and ventilation is turned on. If you hear the squeaking of chickens, this indicates that the temperature is too low for them. Compliance with the temperature regime is necessary to ensure a healthy brood of chickens. If the squeaking of chicks is almost not heard, it is an indicator that the optimal temperature is maintained for them. The appropriate temperature for chickens during this period is from 37 to 38 degrees celsius. Humidity should be maintained at 50-65 percent.

How and how many times do I need to turn the eggs?

Increasingly, you can find incubators on sale that support this function automatically. If your incubator does not provide this function, you will have to deal with this process yourself. The same applies to home-made incubators. All experts are convinced of one thing: in the first day after laying eggs in the incubator, they need to be turned twice a day (in the morning and in the evening). Further opinions differ. Most poultry farmers claim that after the first day of the egg should be turned 4-6 times a day. This should be done from the 2nd to the 18th day of incubation. If you turn them over more often, the chicks may suffer from hypothermia. With rare flipping, they may be at risk of hypothermia. For other poultry (ducks, geese, turkeys), there are different rules for turning eggs: the larger they are, the less often they will need to be turned.

In order not to make a mistake about which way to do the flip, you should have a special notebook, which must note the following parameters: the side of the egg (you can use a special label), humidity, air temperature, the time when the flip was made.

It is best to do the flip during airing. All manipulations should be performed as quickly as possible to avoid hypothermia. The temperature in the incubator at this time should be from 22 to 25 degrees celsius. There is no need to turn the eggs over at night.

What to do with a cracked shell?

Despite numerous recommendations to carefully examine eggs before placing them in the incubator, many novice poultry breeders face the same problem – the appearance of cracks in the shell. If this occurs during the first stages of incubation, it is desirable to remove it immediately. The fetus can't survive there. The environment has an extremely negative impact on cracked eggs.

Do not try to seal the egg with improvised materials (tape, plaster, etc.) at the early stages. This should only be done if the embryo is already fully formed. This will help protect it from the environment. In this case, a cracked egg can make a viable chick.