Eggs turning during lockdown?

[clucknpeck]

I wanted to test my new incubator before I bought eggs, so I put in 4 of my layers eggs. Well a couple are going into lockdown soon, and because I was so excited at the success of my incubator I have eggs I ordered going in.
Will it hurt the eggs that are in lockdown to be turned along with the newly set eggs? Also, can they hatch if i have them in the rack rather than laying on their side?

 

[PatS]

I'm new to this, so hopefully someone else will chime in with the logistics of how to handle two or more hatches in the same incubator. But my understanding is that the egg turning stops during lockdown.

 

[CayuseRanch]

The new eggs don't really need to be turned till after day 7. That's to keep the embryo from sticking to the side. Early on they are small enough it is safe to not turn them. Also you can hatch upright aswell. Your biggest concern is going to be humidity. I would set humidity at 65 for lockdown then dryhatch your new eggs until their lockdown. Monitor their aircell to make sure it is progressing wait should.

 

[clucknpeck]

The new eggs don't really need to be turned till after day 7. That's to keep the embryo from sticking to the side. Early on they are small enough it is safe to not turn them. Also you can hatch upright aswell. Your biggest concern is going to be humidity. I would set humidity at 65 for lockdown then dryhatch your new eggs until their lockdown. Monitor their aircell to make sure it is progressing wait should.

This is helpful, thankyou. Do you happen to know eggs shouldn't be turned during lock down?
Will the high humidity depleat the chances of development for the new eggs?

 

[CayuseRanch]

It is difficult for the chick to get in position to Pip and zip, turning eggs or chicks playing soccer with eggs can disturb this process but not always.

 

[sumi]

During the first week of incubation it it critical to turn the eggs regularly. This keeps the yolk and the developing embryo centred. After the second week it is not a disaster if you cannot, for some reason turn the eggs regularly, but you should still, until day 18. During the last 3 days (lockdown) the chick gets into position to hatch and pip into the air sac. If you turn the eggs during this period it may cause the chick to end up malpositioned and unable to pip and hatch successfully. Here is an excellent article on incubation and hatching that you can look at:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

It explains all the technicalities and gives lots of good advice and tips. It's a great read, even for experienced hatchers. In the meantime here is an interesting read on egg turning during incubation:


Egg turning

• Prevents adhesion of the embryo to the inner shell membrane.
• stimulates the rate of development of the area vasculosa (the membrane which grows around the yolk and is rich in blood vessels). The area vasculosa is important for sub-embryonic fluid formation, as well as for yolk uptake later in incubation.
• allows normal transfer of albumen proteins into the amniotic fluid, promoting optimum use of the albumen.
• supports the growth of the chorio-allantois (the blood vessels right under the shell) to maximise oxygen absorption.
• embryos in unturned eggs grow at a lower rate compared to embryos in eggs turned each hour over 90˚.
• facilitates movements of the embryo into the normal hatching position and reduces the incidence of malpositions in unhatched embryos.

Recently Elibol and Brake (2004) confirmed the finding of New (1957), that the most critical period for turning broiler hatching eggs is during the first week of incubation. Elibol and Brake observed differential effects due to an absence of turning between 0 to 2 days (primarily increased early mortality) versus 3 to 8 days (primarily increased late mortality).
The effect of not turning during the first half of incubation is only seen during the second half of incubation, but by then it is too late to take corrective actions. Turning failures during the second half of incubation will generally have less dramatic effects, although the growth rate of the embryo can be affected, depending on the moment and duration of the turning failure.

 

[clucknpeck]

Hmmm thanks for that info sumi.
So I guess I am leaning towards turning the eggs during lockdown and hoping they can get in position to pip?
What do most people do when they hatch at different times?

 

[clucknpeck]

I've got it! I'm going to make a hatcher.
Now the question is- how can I do this in 2 days??

 

[Adam7]

Hmmm thanks for that info sumi.
So I guess I am leaning towards turning the eggs during lockdown and hoping they can get in position to pip?
What do most people do when they hatch at different times?

I wouldn't turn during lockdown as a chick my get stuck in the turner and get injured..

Building a hatcher is possible but you will need several days to adjust the temperature before you could really trust it to do its job. You wouldn't want to have a temp spike over night and fry your chicks...

I would stop turning. Up humidity for lockdown. Let them hatch. Then completely lower humidity as low as you can for the remainder of incubation on your other set of eggs. Then up humidity at their lockdown.

Look at making a hatcher for a future investment . I wouldn't rush it though as your chicks lives depend on it being right!

 

[BellaTweety]

Was this ever resolved? I'm having a similar issue