Does this really work? Please read!!

[MakNat]

Can you really put the eggs in an egg carton pointy end down in the bator. Then to turn the eggs you just prop up different sides of the bator? Is that really turning them enough? Then at look down just raise the humidity. They can just hatch sitting up like that? What cartons are better? Cardboard or styrofoam? Should you cut the bottons out? This hatch has been so hard, I'm willing to try anything. Besides my therm being junk, I had to open it 3 times a day to turn.. That is probably why its going so bad. The chicks seem really weak, but are hanging it there. The first to hatch is a leghorn roo. I can tell its a roo cause its little comb is big and folded over. He has some attitide too!!! Haha

 

[newdock]

I have done this and had much better results doing it this way. It only works if you don't have to add too much water to the tray on the bottom. If there is too much water and you tip the bator....well, I"m sure you can figure out what happens!

I used cardboard and cut the bottoms out of the cartons to improve air circulation.

If I need more water, I used a little high topped container instead of adding it to the tray on the bottom...I live in a humid area though so I didn't have to worry too much about adding water.

Edited to add - I only use the carton until day 18 when I stop turning. Then I laid the eggs on their side and got rid of the carton. The first time I didn't do this and one chick pipped low and couldn't get out due to the carton and it died. I felt horrible!

 

[saladin]

Opening any incubator 3 times a day to turn the eggs is normal: this will not cause problems with any hatch.

There is no advantage to the eggs being in a turner. Having the eggs on the side is normal: that is the way they are in the nest.

My hatch rate is usually around 85% of the fertile eggs: sometimes better, sometimes not. I hatch a lot of eggs. saladin

 

[Bluemoon420]

My eggs were in a auto turner, but on lockdown I put them in egg cartons. They are hatching now with no difficulties. The third one just hatched, and there's 3 more to go that I can see. I will definitly use this way again. The last hatch I did. I had them in auto turner, then laid them on their sides at lockdown. Only two hatched. Only things I changed for this hatch was I lowered the temp slightly, kept the humidity the same, and put them in egg cartons for hatching.

Bluemoon

 

[quailbrain]

Proping eggs up can depend on your incubator too. The closer your eggs get to the elements the hotter the temp. once you frop the end back down your temp drops. Also if the carton is not modified you can restrict air flow and humidity flow so ends need to be cut off.

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Everyone is got to remember that hens get up a few times a day to do their business and feed. During this time of course temp & humidity are going to drop. It seems to me just like nature to go in and turn eggs three times a day.

 

[Bock_Bock]

thats how i just did mine i had 30/32 hatch that went into lockdown, 2 of them quit early on and shouldnt have even made it to lockdown so i shoulda had 100% but i kept those 2 in for being iffy

 

[saladin]

With hatching eggs the best thing is to do what works for you. There are some basic guidelines to follow, but remember everyone's conditions are a little bit different.

For example,I keep my incubator in the garage which is unheated and has huge temp fluctuations which is the first thing people will tell you NOT to do. My hatches are around 85%. I hatch from October to June each year with a hatch coming off every 7 to 10 days.

Listen to what folks are saying and look for common threads of advice. Make up the rest. saladin

 

[walkswithdog]

My incubator is on the front porch... outside. Still get 90% and more hatches. It all depends on your equipment, your environment and your experience.

I use cartons some of the time and not others.

What I don't use now is foam bators.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
This is true on still air incubators, if you prop the carton up in the incubators. Not so if you prop up the incubator, or have a force air(fan) incubator.

Auto turner do help hatch rate, that why some incubators have turner were you need to put them in small end down. Other have turners were they lay flat and are rolled..

Reason for turning is to keep the yolk in center of eggs.. If not it will stick to the side of egg.......