turning time?

[jimred]

i have noticed that the R-COM stops turning with 3 days to go and the brinsea mini stops turning with 2 days to go, what do you think is best for bantam eggs?

[RichmondHens]

Shouldn't make a difference. Bantam and chicken take about the same time I find. I have hatched both bantam and chicken in my R Com.

[Bramble-Poultry]

We stop at 3 days to go for our bantams (unless I confuse my dates - it happens sometimes - naturally blonde) as we usually find that they hatch at day 20 not 21 like larger fowl, no idea why they just seem to come first.

Although 2 days or 3 days to stop turning is neither here nor there really

[Suechooks]

Out of interest does the hen stop moving the eggs before hatching and how does she (the hen) increase the humidity?

[Snadger]

!8 days today for mine so last turn tonight and then I'll add the water!

[RichmondHens]

Out of interest does the hen stop moving the eggs before hatching and how does she (the hen) increase the humidity?

A hen with access to grass will occasionally dampen her feathers on the grass when she gets off to poo etc - mine do it several times during the course of brooding. If you put a broody in a box with no access to wet grass then it is advisable to spray the eggs with tepid water at about day 17 or 18. I tend to err on the side of caution and spray anyway even though all my girls have coops with grass runs.

I think if left alone the hen may stop turning the eggs but unless we have "hencam" then I guess we don't know for sure. One assumes research has been done in order to produce the modern automatic incubator which stops turning at day 18. I've certainly had eggs that have been left in the nestbox deliberately and have been buffeted about right up to day 21 and they have still hatched regardless, so it can't do them too much harm!

[MaureenHall]

Even though I've always stopped turning the eggs at the end of Day 18, once the first chick has hatched all the remaining eggs get shifted around anyway with the little one scrambling over and around them

[Suechooks]

Thank you RH. Hopefully I'll be able to see it for myself next year!