After day 18 how do you place your eggs?

[JWBFARM]

I am having issues after lockdown. I will get a chick to pip out and push some of the other eggs pip holes upside down causing the unhatched chick to drown. Any suggestions or what do you do to your eggs?

 

[BobMcDuff]

Some people hatch eggs standing upright in cut down egg cartons. I was contemplating either that, or maybe taking a papertowl roll and cutting short "rings" out of it for each egg to have one to sit on to keep it stable. I am new to this though, haven't tried either. Maybe someone can offer help on the carton method, or even lend a thought to the ring idea.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I am having issues after lockdown. I will get a chick to pip out and push some of the other eggs pip holes upside down causing the unhatched chick to drown. Any suggestions or what do you do to your eggs?

Some people hatch eggs standing upright in cut down egg cartons. I was contemplating either that, or maybe taking a papertowl roll and cutting short "rings" out of it for each egg to have one to sit on to keep it stable. I am new to this though, haven't tried either. Maybe someone can offer help on the carton method, or even lend a thought to the ring idea.

Cut down egg cartons is the way most people who are worried about that go. The cut down paper towel roll has merit if they are wide enough to keep the chicks from knocking them over and if all your eggs are big enough to sit in the ring. It'd be interesting to see how the cardboard stood up in humid conditions though. I'd be a bit worried the moisture would compromise the stability.

 

[fried green eggs]

I have used cut down paper cartons and can normally get a few hatches out of a carton.

 

[JWBFARM]

Thank you the last hatch I lost to many chicks because of this. I will try this method and see what happens.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thank you the last hatch I lost to many chicks because of this. I will try this method and see what happens.

I personally do not feel this is your problem and the reason I say that is I have hatch 1000's in the last 8-10 months. My eggs get moved around, knocked every where and I have a High hatch rate---usually 95 to 100%---example 122 in the hatcher, 121 hatched----even the egg that did not hatch I felt it would not when I put it in on day 18. BUT if YOU feel this is your problem you have gotten some suggestions on what to do!

If I was going to make something to stop the eggs from rolling---I would use a electric mitre saw and saw off about 1/4" thick pieces of PVC pipe---making enough "rings" for my incubator. You can cut different size pvc pipe for different size rings for different size eggs------you can even heat these rings in hot water for a few seconds then hold them in a oval shape with your tongs for a few seconds as they cool to create a Oval shape to fit your eggs better. Good Luck with your future hatches

 

[WalnutHill]

I personally do not feel this is your problem and the reason I say that is I have hatch 1000's in the last 8-10 months. My eggs get moved around, knocked every where and I have a High hatch rate---usually 95 to 100%---example 122 in the hatcher, 121 hatched----even the egg that did not hatch I felt it would not when I put it in on day 18. BUT if YOU feel this is your problem you have gotten some suggestions on what to do!

If I was going to make something to stop the eggs from rolling---I would use a electric mitre saw and saw off about 1/4" thick pieces of PVC pipe---making enough "rings" for my incubator. You can cut different size pvc pipe for different size rings for different size eggs------you can even heat these rings in hot water for a few seconds then hold them in a oval shape with your tongs for a few seconds as they cool to create a Oval shape to fit your eggs better. Good Luck with your future hatches

Chicks stumbling around and rolling eggs hasn't caused me any problems yet either. I use shelf liner on the wire bottom and they get bumped and rolled. I think crowding would be a worse issue, if the floor was wall to wall eggs with no room to push out. I leave plenty of room in the hatcher drawers, no more than 60% of the bottom covered with eggs. But I am sure that many have hatched in completely full trays with great success as well.