Breeding Your Own Chicks
Egg Turning

• Introduction to Breeding Your Own Chicks
• Breeding Stock
• Suitable Eggs for Breeding Your Own Chicks
• Incubators What to Look For in Egg Incubators
• Egg Turning
• Ideal Temperatures for Incubating Eggs
• Humidity for Incubating Eggs
• Candling Eggs
• Pipping & Hatching Eggs
• Optimum Conditions for Incubation and Hatching
• Useful Items for Incubation and Hatching

Whatever the size, it pays to get a machine that has an automatic turning facility. Eggs need to be turned several times a day while they are in the incubator and this is quite a bind if they all have to be turned by hand.

With manual turning, each egg will also need to be marked with an X so that it’s clear which surface should be facing upwards each time.

Some time ago, there was an irresponsible article printed on the web that said that turning was not necessary because the hen doesn’t do it. The claim is nonsense and a salutary warning to treat some web-published material with caution.

Anyone who has ever observed a broody hen knows that she shuffles around and turns the eggs with her beak many times during the day. If eggs are not turned, there is a risk of the embryo adhering to the membranes on the downward side, access to oxygen from the egg air cell may be restricted and metabolic toxins cannot be carried away.

The result is death of the embryo!

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Copyright © Katie Thear 2005