Turning the eggs during the incubation period prevents the blastoderm from migrating through the albumen and sticking to the shell membrane. Chicken eggs should be turned three to five times daily from the 2nd to the 18th day. Do not turn the eggs during the last 3 days!
To insure proper turning, mark each side of the egg with a pencil. Put an "x" on one side and an "o" on the opposite side.
Place the eggs on the welded wire platform horizontally, in a single layer, with the end marked "x" on top. When the eggs are turned, all the "x"s will be on the bottom and the "o"s on top. At the next turning, the "x"s will be in view, and so on.
When incubators are used in schools, it may be difficult to turn the eggs on weekends. If the eggs are not turned, the hatch may be somewhat slower, so it is recommended that the eggs be turned at least once daily on weekends. In some schools, the temperature is reduced on weekends and holidays, and it may be advisable to make an insulation cover for your incubator by placing a large cardboard box over the incubator.
Except for the 19th through the 21st day, it is safe to move the incubator with the eggs in it. Some teachers take the incubator with its eggs home on weekends. Rolling and cracking of the eggs can be prevented during the move by packing the eggs in a carton. The incubator should be wrapped in a heavy blanket and placed in a warm vehicle to maintain the temperature of the eggs, and the trip should not take more than half an hour.
After the 18th day, do not open or move the incubator until the hatch is completed because the chicks are in a hatching position in the eggs and because a desirable hatching humidity must be maintained.
