We (our 5th grade son!) are planning a science fair experiment to incubate eggs and see whether turning the eggs is important. From all our reading (much in Countryside) we really don't know what to predict. On one hand we have read that the original egg turning research was flawed, on the other hand it is hard to imagine that an entire industry spends millions of dollars to turn eggs unnecessarily without doing their own tests. There must be more information out there somewhere. A trusted friend told us of increased leg deformities in chicks whose eggs were not turned sufficiently. Does anyone have first hand experience with a similar test? We may add an informal survey on this board as a later part of our son's experiment.

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), February 13, 2001

Answers

Here is a site you may want to check out: Look under turning the eggs. http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/resources/egg_to_chick/procedures.h tml

I have heard this from other sources also, that if the eggs aren't turned the developing embryo may stick to the shell. Our hens when they go broody regularily rearrange the eggs by rolling them around.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), February 13, 2001.

You can get some good information on this from Stromberg Poultry. Their address is Box 400 Pine River, Minnesota 56474. Ask for the Guide to Better Hatching. They have interesting facts in there such as a chicken will turn her eggs over 90 times a day. Here is a quote from the book "turning reduces the tendencies of the embryo to stick to the shell membranes. Developing embryos will readily adhere to the surrounding membranes if the eggs remain in the same position too long. Not only does frequent turning increase hatchability, but it also reduces early embryonic mortality and certain embryo malpositions." They go on to instruct exactly how to turn and when to turn etc. Mary

-- Mary Fraley (kmfraley@orwell.net), February 13, 2001.

David, I did an experiment once when I had a lot of eggs. I found that the hatch rate was lower and defects where higher in the unturned incubator. I will always turn in the future. I turn about 3 times a day mostly.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 13, 2001.

In my (limited) experience, turning is better, but not so much so that I would get silly about it, especially as concerns missing a few turns from time to time! GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), February 14, 2001.