Can I change my mind last minute?

[Sooner]

I hatched for the first time in the carton this week. I had 24 that I lay on their sides on the bottom & 18 in a carton. For whatever reason the one's in the carton had a better hatch rate. The clean up is easier so I will most likely do a half & half on my next hatch to see what the results are to pick my method, right now I voted & am leaning towards carton hatch.

 

[Shifty Joe]

I've done the hatching without a carton and after watching the resulting chaos of hatched chicks knocking unhatched eggs around I'm going to use a carton for my next hatch. Looking at the pictures of others who have used cartons, it looks like it will allow me to hatch more eggs in my "Mama-Bater" without comprising lockdown by pulling trouble makers out.... I had one chick would would use an egg as a pillow, ended up rolling it from one end of the bater to the other. I don't think it will comprise airflow\\humidity enough to hurt the egg and might even help the little guys get out. I'll let you know how it goes, I'm going to start the batch this weekend.

 

[Bec]

Yes definitely keep me posted!


Here is mine. I started with 37 in there, 1 was clear, 1 quit around day 3 and 2 more quit around day 9 or so. Now I have 33 happy and moving as of right before lockdown.

ETA: the humidity and temp was acting up when I took the pic, so thats why it says 36 and my hygrometer is 11% below. So it was 47% but still low at that time.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Just posted this on another thread last night....

None of this I can prove but I'm working on it.

Think of an egg as a cup with tape over the top. Everything under the tape is the liquid an the chick an above the tape is the air cell.

Now if the cup is full of water an the chick pips threw the tape in to the air cell an the cup is standing strait up then the water goes nowhere. That means the chick has to stick its whole beak up in to the air cell for every breath.

But if the cup is on its side the when the chick breaks threw the tape all the extra moisture runs out in to the air cell an away from the chicks beak letting it breath.

On the other end if there is very little moisture in the egg at pip time having it upright would keep the chick wetter where it can hatch with less effort.


Every time when I was running higher humidity an had smaller air cells I would do ok hatching on there side an have failure in the carton. Medium air cells seam to do ok ether way. An now that I am doing the a completely dry incubation (no water days 1-18) an have bigger air cells I seem to be having better luck with the carton hatch.

This is one of those things that in my mind it makes sense but it keeps me awake at night trying to think of how to prove it​

 

[ranchhand]

Becca...............................................................................


Don't you have anything to do besides hatch stressing?

Go wash windows, pick hooves, play dress-up with Major, chase chickens out back, do the laundry, anything but worrying, woman!

It will be fine.

 

[newdock]

I was always an advocate of in carton hatching until last year. I had one chick pip low on the egg and it couldn't get out and died due to the egg carton being in the way. It changed my opinion forever!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

It seems that the chicks have an easier time hatching out when in the carton. The hatched chicks cant play soccer with the chicks that are pipping.

 

[Bec]

I would imagine it would be kind of hard to work on getting out if you are being rolled all around...

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I read somewhere (on here) that some people use those small elastrator rubberbands (for docking tails/castrating) to place under the egg to keep them stable. I wonder if the bands are enough to keep the eggs st able if the hatchlings roll around?

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Well on the other hand, it can't be easy having to climb UP to get out! Probably not much difference really, unless you do have a problem chick. This little gal decided to rest a while.

You can see that I cut the carton side very low, and the bottom of each cup is cut out for airflow.