This is some basic info to help you get the most successful hatch possible out of your turkey eggs.
These are my methods and they work for me. If you have a method that works great, by all means, continue with it. This is just for those who would like a little guidance.
Before you place eggs in an incubator, make sure the temp is regulating at 100.5 to 101.5 degrees for still air machines or 99.5 to 100 degrees for forced air incubators, with a relative humidity in the room of 50-60%.
I recommend a digital thermometer and hygrometer if you don’t have these already.
If your incubator has an auto egg turner, place the eggs in the holders large end up. Otherwise, just lay them on their sides and turn them over completely to the other side at least 3 times a day.
It will take quite a few hours for the eggs to warm up, but if the temp hasn’t reached at least 99.5 degrees in a 24-hour period, turn the temp up a bit more and carefully watch that it doesn’t go above 101.5 degrees. It can get up to 103 and still be safe, but this is the maximum temp, and if it goes higher, it will kill the embryo.
Now, at day 24, the eggs no longer need turning. The last 4 days is the hatching period. The embryo is fully developed, and now it positions itself to hatch and the yolk will start to absorb into the abdomen.
At the end of day 24 or 25, take out the turner and put the eggs back in, laying on their sides or move them to your hatcher if you have one. Decrease your temp to 98.0 - 98.5 degrees and also increase the humidity by adding water or connecting a humidifier to spray a mist inside your unit to keep the humidity between 73-79%.
Your poults should hatch by the 28th day, sometimes a day or two early.
Happy Hatching!
Kevin Porter