Conflicting information.

[O'Henry Farms]

So after 2 failed hatches (only 1 lonely chick from my last one) I am crossing my t's and dotting my i's. I will die if my Easter hatch turns out poorly. I read that people have better hatches if the eggs are put in lockdown in cartons. Is this the general consensus? I have always laid them down. My very first hatch went well and my babies from that hatch have thrived. Since then my hatching has gone to pot! Anyhow I just wanted to know 100% for sure what I should do. Thank you all! I'd truly be lost without this community!

 

[ThaJuicyJuice]

Never used cartons, had fine hatches. I think temp and humidity play are larger role than what they are hatching in.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Far from consensus....

 

[Missouri Chicken Chick]

Up until this last hatch, I had always just laid the eggs on their sides in the incubator. This time I decided to try the cartons and it didn't go so well. Not sure it was the cartons or whether something else went wrong, but up until this point I have always had very good hatches. This time, not so much.

 

[debilorrah]

My experience is just the opposite. I read here that someone was having better hatches without the carton and since I stopped using them, my hatch rate has gone WAY up.

 

[CCourson05]

This next time, I will be leaving the cartons out of the situation as well. It really didn't even help clean up...

 

[victor1800]

it seems like the carton would kind of restrict the egg shell from breaking apart as the chick pips out

 

[lockedhearts]

I tried cartons twice, hatch rate went way down. Humidity and Temps are more important.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Yes, it's the temps and humidity that makes poor hatches, other factors to consider but those are the two biggest ones. I have never used cartons, my hatch rates are just fine, sometimes 100%.

 

[blefky]

I don't think the cartons would be the major factor in successful hatching. I use them because I use a Brinsea Oct 20, and it's not that large - I like to keep the hatched chicks from kicking the unhatched eggs around. I think that successful hatch rates have more to do with the, already mentioned, heat, humidity, quality of hatching eggs, etc., than whether you're using cartons at hatch time.