At lockdown, do you put paper towel down for chicks to hatch onto?

[kathyinmo]

I am a newbie to incubators, and just put in my first (experimental free) eggs. The last three days, I understand, you are on, "lockdown." When I take out the egg turners, do I lay the eggs on paper towels, to hatch onto?

All suggestions welcomed here!

Thanks!

 

[Katy]

I use that rubbery waffle looking shelf liner.

 

[ChanceRider]

Quote:
Yep, exactly what I use.... not an original idea on my part as I got the idea from a thread here on BYC. Works great, and more importantly it's very easy to clean-up and re-use.

 

[speckledhen]

I've always used that shelf liner. You can wash and bleach it when you're done and reuse or just chuck it and cut a new piece. It keeps them from slipping and allows air flow.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I just lay them right on the wire, have never had a problem.

 

[milleryardchx]

mine hatch on the wire, the problem with paper towels as i have heard or should i say read on here is that it absorbs a lot of your humidity and then it cools the eggs sitting on damp towels also sometimes during hatching the chicks will stick to the paper towels so I'm going to try the shelf liner next hatch in the spring because some say it makes for easier clean up.

 

[kathyinmo]

Thank you all so much. Off to the Dollar Store to buy shelf liner!...

 

[onthespot]

When the chick cracks the egg, the paper towel wicks the liquid out from inside the egg and the chicks stick to the egg shell and dry out and they can't finish hatching and they die. Glad you are getting shelf liner.

 

[Mrs MIA]

... shelf liner is da bomb!

I have TONS of it. Throw it in the wash with a little bleach (AIR dry it!!) and it's as good as new. If it starts getting ratty, I toss it and start with a new one.

I use it for at least the first week of a chick's life, especially the quail. I had a quail hatch with its legs sticking out sideways... a few hours on the liner and I couldn't tell which one it was any more.

 

[1lpoock]

so i could keep it on the liner even in the brooder?