Worried newbie question. Hatching in egg cartons?

[hobby chick]

Hi everyone, I've been incubating shipped eggs for 18 days now and I was told I should hatch them in an open egg carton with the bottoms cut out to help them pip in the right place. (They have saddle shaped air cells). I've been looking online and some articles say you should put them in the cartons and others say you shouldn't. I'm already feeling anxious over the hatch and now I'm extra worried about whether I've done the right or wrong thing by following this advice. I'm hoping someone with experience might have time to let me know what works best? I don't want to accidentally sabotage my babies. Thanks so much in advance for any advice.

 

[MGG]

Hi everyone, I've been incubating shipped eggs for 18 days now and I was told I should hatch them in an open egg carton with the bottoms cut out to help them pip in the right place. (They have saddle shaped air cells). I've been looking online and some articles say you should put them in the cartons and others say you shouldn't. I'm already feeling anxious over the hatch and now I'm extra worried about whether I've done the right or wrong thing by following this advice. I'm hoping someone with experience might have time to let me know what works best? I don't want to accidentally sabotage my babies. Thanks so much in advance for any advice.

It should be fine to leave them in cartons. I've seen many members hatch in egg cartons and incubators that hold the eggs upright just fine.

 

[hobby chick]

It should be fine to leave them in cartons. I've seen many members hatch in egg cartons and incubators that hold the eggs upright just fine.

Thank you! (big sigh of relief) Okay I'll leave them in there.

 

[HaliefromSC]

I also hatched in eggs cartons ( paper ones) it was on shipped eggs that had saddle shaped air cells and.... I had a bout half hatch that way! I did just barely tilt eggs a bit each day. Good luck!!

 

[hobby chick]

I also hatched in eggs cartons ( paper ones) it was on shipped eggs that had saddle shaped air cells and.... I had a bout half hatch that way! I did just barely tilt eggs a bit each day. Good luck!!

Thank you! I'm so nervous.

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Thank you! I'm so nervous.

How did your hatch go? I’m facing the same dilemma with about 8 shipped eggs with saddle shaped air sacs and wondering about trying the egg carton hatching method. They are currently in a vertical automatic turner.

 

[hobby chick]

How did your hatch go? I’m facing the same dilemma with about 8 shipped eggs with saddle shaped air sacs and wondering about trying the egg carton hatching method. They are currently in a vertical automatic turner.

Of the ten that seemed viable, I had six hatch successfully. Good luck with yours!

 

[connieconnie]

I've tried multiple times with shipped eggs, but I found that chicks will usually end up malpositioned if they do not get sufficient turning in the day between 3-13. I had a hatch with automated horizontal turning for the first 10 days, then put into cartons and hand turning (while upright) till lockdown, then laying on their side for lockdown. They had really bad aircells, that fixed themselves and got 5 hatch from 7 fertile eggs.

Another hatch, I tried egg cartoning them (and hand turning upright, 5 times a day) for the whole incubation. Only one managed to pip, and had to be assisted for the hatch. When investigating afterwards, I found that the other 8 eggs that had got to lockdown, were all mal-positioned (I think this is caused by insufficient turning, causing them to get stuck to the membrane and unable to alter position for hatch), they had drowned in the egg as they couldn't pip through. Really sad.

My best hatch was when I just put the shipped eggs straight into the incubator, let the automatic turner do it's thing, and checked for loose air sacs at day 10. If they were loose, they got put in a egg carton and hand turned for 5-6 days, checked the air sac, and put back onto the horizontal turner if rectified. I had 100% of the fertile shipped eggs hatch! So it may take some experimentation to get a good hatch for you and your incubator. Good luck with your hatch

 

[hobby chick]

I've tried multiple times with shipped eggs, but I found that chicks will usually end up malpositioned if they do not get sufficient turning in the day between 3-13. I had a hatch with automated horizontal turning for the first 10 days, then put into cartons and hand turning (while upright) till lockdown, then laying on their side for lockdown. They had really bad aircells, that fixed themselves and got 5 hatch from 7 fertile eggs.

Another hatch, I tried egg cartoning them (and hand turning upright, 5 times a day) for the whole incubation. Only one managed to pip, and had to be assisted for the hatch. When investigating afterwards, I found that the other 8 eggs that had got to lockdown, were all mal-positioned (I think this is caused by insufficient turning, causing them to get stuck to the membrane and unable to alter position for hatch), they had drowned in the egg as they couldn't pip through. Really sad.

My best hatch was when I just put the shipped eggs straight into the incubator, let the automatic turner do it's thing, and checked for loose air sacs at day 10. If they were loose, they got put in a egg carton and hand turned for 5-6 days, checked the air sac, and put back onto the horizontal turner if rectified. I had 100% of the fertile shipped eggs hatch! So it may take some experimentation to get a good hatch for you and your incubator. Good luck with your hatch

This is great info! Thanks for sharing