Turning Eggs: How Often, Which Way, Until When
TL;DR: Turn eggs 3–5 times a day, an odd number of times, from day 1 through day 18, then stop completely for lockdown. Turning stops the embryo adhering to the shell membrane. The odd-number rule exists so the egg does not spend two consecutive nights resting on the same side. Mark each egg with an X on one side and an O on the other — after a turn, every egg in the tray shows the same letter, so a missed turn is obvious at a glance.
This is the simplest task in incubation and the one most often quietly skipped, because nothing appears to go wrong until day 21.
Why Turning Matters
A developing embryo sits within membranes inside the egg. Left in one position for too long, it can settle against the shell membrane and adhere to it — and an embryo stuck to the membrane cannot develop or position properly to hatch.
Turning also keeps the membranes and the yolk material distributed around the embryo rather than pooling on one side.
A broody hen does this constantly, without instruction, shuffling and repositioning her clutch through the day. An incubator does nothing unless you or a turner makes it.
The Rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| How often | At least 3–5 times a day |
| Odd number | 3 or 5, not 4 — see below |
| From when | Day 1 |
| Until when | Day 18, then stop completely |
| Orientation | Blunt end slightly higher than pointed end; the air cell is at the blunt end |
| How far | Roughly 180 degrees for hand turning on a flat tray; automatic turners tilt through a set angle |
The Odd-Number Rule Explained
The reason is the overnight gap.
If you turn four times a day at even intervals, the egg finishes the day on the same side every night — so the longest period without turning always happens with the same face down. Over eighteen days that is eighteen long nights on the same side.
Turn an odd number of times and the resting side alternates each night. One line of arithmetic, and it removes the problem entirely.
The Marking Method
Mark each egg with a pencil — X on one side, O on the other.
Then:
- After every turn, all eggs in the tray show the same letter.
- A glance tells you whether the turn was done, and whether any egg was missed.
- Missed eggs in a large batch become impossible to track any other way.
Use a pencil, not a marker. Eggshells are porous, and solvent-based inks are not something to introduce to a developing embryo.
Hand Turning vs Automatic
Automatic turner: more consistent, and consistency is what you are buying. It removes the single most common failure — the turn you meant to do and did not. It also means fewer lid openings, which protects humidity.
Hand turning: perfectly workable, free, and it makes you look at the eggs regularly. It fails when life intervenes — a day out, a busy morning, an illness.
If you hand turn:
- Set fixed times you will actually keep: morning, midday, evening for three; add mid-morning and late evening for five.
- Wash your hands first. Shells are porous and take up contamination.
- Work quickly — open, turn, close. Heat and humidity leave every second the lid is off.
- Mark the eggs as above.
- Keep a written turning log if you are hatching more than a few eggs. Memory is not evidence.
Stopping at Day 18
Turning stops at day 18, the start of lockdown.
By then the chick is orienting itself for hatching, moving into the position it needs to internally pip into the air cell and then break the shell. Continued turning disrupts that positioning.
At the same moment you stop turning, humidity goes up and the incubator stays closed — see lockdown at day 18 and incubator humidity.
If you use an automatic turner, remove it or switch it off at lockdown, and lay the eggs flat in the tray. Leaving it running is an easy oversight with a bad ending.
Turning During Storage, Before Incubation
Eggs held for several days before setting also benefit from being turned daily — for the same reason, on a slower clock. Full detail in how to store hatching eggs.
What Missed Turning Looks Like Afterwards
You will not see it at the time. You see it at candling and at hatch:
- Embryos that died early and are found adhered to the shell membrane.
- Chicks that reached full term but were badly positioned and could not pip.
- A batch that hatched unevenly for no other apparent reason.
Our why eggs did not hatch guide covers reading a failed hatch, and candling eggs covers checking progress at day 7, 14 and 18.
The Honest Limits Here
The turning frequency, the odd-number convention, the day-18 stop and the reason turning is needed at all are standard incubation practice, consistent with our main incubation guide. Automatic turners differ in tilt angle and cycle timing between models — follow your machine’s manual for those specifics rather than this guide.
Related: how to incubate chicken eggs, lockdown at day 18, candling eggs, how to store hatching eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should incubating eggs be turned?
At least 3-5 times a day from day 1 through day 18. More is closer to what a broody hen does naturally and does no harm.
Why an odd number of turns per day?
So the egg does not rest on the same side two nights in a row. With an even number, the long overnight gap always falls on the same side; an odd number alternates it.
Why does turning matter at all?
It stops the developing embryo from settling against and adhering to the shell membrane, and it keeps the membranes and nutrients distributed around the embryo rather than pooled on one side.
When do I stop turning?
At day 18, the start of lockdown. From then on the chick is orienting itself to pip, and turning works against it.
Which way up should eggs sit?
Blunt end slightly higher than the pointed end, since the air cell is at the blunt end. Eggs lying on their side and rolled are also normal in flat-tray incubators.
How do I know if I have turned them?
Mark one side of each egg with a pencil — an X on one side and an O on the other is the classic method. After turning, every egg shows the same mark.
Is an automatic turner better than hand turning?
It is more consistent, which matters because missed turns are the most common failure. Hand turning works perfectly well if you are reliably home and use the marking method.