3rd Annual New Year's Day Hatch!!

[Beautiful_Chickens]

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WowEEE, you guys got a lot built, doing those grow-out pens in one day! It seems to take me forever to make even small things.

Well, I am heading outside to do my outside chicken chores a bit early and have them done so I can stay inside the rest of the pm and peer into my hatcher, ha! OH...Mahonri, I forgot to ask, but a couple of days ago you mentioned your method of putting eggs into cartons w/ bottoms cut out, and that rubbery airy shelf liner under them. Would you please describe all that in more detail? Also others please chime in about using cartons in incubators and hatchers. I tried cartons last year but had not heard to cut the bottoms out. I had a bad hatch rate (but did end up with a really cool small flock anyway), but the eggs were shipped seramas, supposedly usually very bad as far as shipping affects them.

Still just the one egg pipped here.

 

[featherz]

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I'm up to 11 pips, no chicks yet. My brinsea is gonna explode all at once, I just know it. Chick KABOOM.

 

[happyhensny]

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I'm up to 11 pips, no chicks yet. My brinsea is gonna explode all at once, I just know it. Chick KABOOM.

That is really neat to see though. Chick-corn all over!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
WowEEE, you guys got a lot built, doing those grow-out pens in one day! It seems to take me forever to make even small things.

Well, I am heading outside to do my outside chicken chores a bit early and have them done so I can stay inside the rest of the pm and peer into my hatcher, ha! OH...Mahonri, I forgot to ask, but a couple of days ago you mentioned your method of putting eggs into cartons w/ bottoms cut out, and that rubbery airy shelf liner under them. Would you please describe all that in more detail? Also others please chime in about using cartons in incubators and hatchers. I tried cartons last year but had not heard to cut the bottoms out. I had a bad hatch rate (but did end up with a really cool small flock anyway), but the eggs were shipped seramas, supposedly usually very bad as far as shipping affects them.

Still just the one egg pipped here.

I've hatched in egg cartons before, but I only use the plastic ones, the pulp ones I think suck the moisture out of the incubator. I do cut the bottoms out of the egg holes to help air and moisture move throughout the incubator. I haven't noticed a difference in hatch rate doing it in the cartons or not. The mess is about the same for both... because you cut holes in the bottom of the cartons. I think hatching without the cartons gives the chicks a bit more room, and since I have a small brinsea I didn't use the cartons this time.

Also edited to add that I get nervous incubating in the cartons because of (what I perceive to be) a large gradient when the incubator moves in the auto-turn. An egg can just slip right out of the carton. So I incubate without cartons, too.

Just my opinion.

 

[kathyinmo]

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I incubate and hatch in cartons.

 

[BostonBryce]

2 EE
2 FBCM
4 Icelandics hatched and drying.

6 other eggs external pip so far.

 

[anderson8505]

So far....

 

[Peep_Show]

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(Last time I'll post this picture...I promise!)

I'll chime in.... The egg cartons are cut down 1/2 to 2/3 from the top. The bottom of the egg holders are cut to create a round pencil-thick to dime-thick hole in the bottom. This allows the egg to breathe on sides and bottom. Make sure you reduce the size if the egg cartons and don't just plop and egg in there because if they pip low, they'll be stuck. You want just enough carton for the egg to remain upright.

The rubber mat thingy is rubber shelf liner. It can be found where shelf paper is in your local Wal-Mart and even Walgreens. It runs anywhere from $2 to $7 depending on what size (length) you get. It is wonderful how easy incubator cleanup is with this set up!

 

[Beautiful_Chickens]

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I incubate and hatch in cartons.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/31282_eggsincartoninbator.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/31282_dscf3390.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/31282_dscf3636.jpg

Oh, what good photos; thank you!! One thing I noticed right away is that the pipping might be a lot easier to see in cartons.

 

[notinoz2007]

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Mahonri that grow out pen looks amazing! Nice job! Hope the little ones feet get better soon.

your grow out pens look better than my chicken coop! also, 5 of those chicks look a lot like my alohas so i would venture to guess SFH - but i havent seen icelandic chicks before so i have no idea. i just thought it was an amazingly similar pattern to the alohas.