Egg Carton Hatching Method Feedback *UPDATE*Tried It*Relults*

[speckledhen]

haven't tried this yet, but I've read threads about people incubating in the egg cartons from day one. They would elevate one end of the carton and rotate and do the other end the next time for turning.

This is a slight problem in a homemade bator with a lightbulb as the heat source. I did originally put half of my eggs in the Fridge-a-Bator in a carton in order to make it faster to hand turn, however, I abandoned the idea within a few days. The eggs that were higher were also hotter, too hot, in fact, when the eggs on the floor or at the bottom of the carton were at a satisfactory temp. I removed them and placed them on their sides and the problem was solved since then, they were all at the same level. If a heat element were used that distributed the heat more evenly over the eggs, that would not be an issue. My DH resisted the carton hatching method strongly, so we just hatched this last batch on their sides, as we usually do.
Kim, I know of two instances where eggs pipped low, were not noticed and the chicks died because they could not get out of the egg due to it being in the cartons. That would probably not be a large percentage of the total hatched, but it has happened.​

 

[ChicknThief]

We snipped at least half of the sides off the carton so just a cup was at the bottom to hold the eggs. It worked wonderfully and so little of the egg was in the cup so I think we would have seen one that pipped low, although none did.

 

[speckledhen]

I would have tried the method for at least part of the hatch, but DH was highly resistant and he's half of this equation, so I didn't insist on it. Anyway, if it works well for you, no reason not to do it that way. So far, my hatches have yielded satisfactory results, so no big deal for me at this point in time. (Gee, I hope I'm done with hatching for the year, except for broodies, anyway!)

 

[ginasmarans]

My turner went out so I've been elevating the entire incubater,alternating sides. I use a wooden Jenga piece on it's edge. I's probably about 1 1/2 inch wide. I'm using the carton from the beginning. Today is day 10 and I see several developing eggs. I have a few clear and one blood ring to cull. I'll let you know how the hatch goes.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i have 2 sportsmans so the 3 trays in each have auto turners that tilt side to side and my hatcher is a screen open tray in bottom w/ a similar lid but i don't use it. i use the cartons from start to finish now. all i do is remove the tops and only use bottoms. i don't alter bottoms.

i like this method better because i have plastic spiked looking racks it is to easy for the eggs to slip and doesn't really hold them right. it holds 6 racks per bator but the eggs r kinda in the air not really held by much and anything over a lrg egg doesn't fit but i think i have pheasant racks. cartons hold more and way easier on chicks than a metal bottom screen. so much easier to clean just toss the whole thing w/ cartons. when i didn't i had to remove everything and hope it came out of the wood along with stuff out of the screen and frame and use bleach to sanitise everything.

when i use cartons it holds less cuz i put them in every other one but i don't have to worry about eggs cracking together when it tilts like with the racks or falling out of the holder. only thing i don't like about the cartons is they slide side to side so we put a towel along side them so they don't.

my last hatch finished about 3 days ago, they were shipped eggs. i had in 2 cuckoo marans in and both hatched pullets!! i had in 13 white crested black LF polish eggs. one candled clear and one internal pipped due to a tiny air cell. all 11 others hatched perfect healthy chicks, didn't have to help a one!!! i used cartons whole incubation and hatch.

my next batch in is due tomarrow will let u know how it goes too.
silkie

 

[JordanFamily]

What about leaving them in the egg turner with it shut off? Does anyone know if that would work as well? Thanks

 

[Katy]

The issue I have with doing that is them having a hard time getting their feet under them when they hatch or getting their legs stuck in the turner.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Has anyone tried hatching duck eggs in a carton? I have some going into the hatcher soon and wonder if I could do the same as with the chicken eggs.

 

[chickenlisa]

I know i'm going to try it. I've read all the posts and seen pics too- I'm sold on the idea-what the hey? Its my first incubating experience anyways. I like the idea of cutting down the sides of the carton some so I can see lower on the eggs' sides. I'll do that too. I'll let you all know next week how it goes- I have to get out to Walmart tomorrow to get some of the rubber shelf liner...
Lisa

 

[bigdog]

I am a middle school teacher and hatch eggs every spring with the kids. I just hatched a variety of chick eggs in my incubator w/ egg cartons and got 31 of 37 to hatch. One of the eggs that didn't hatch had twins in it. I usually get around 50%. I have duck eggs set to hatch next week and will definitely use cartons for them too. Clean up was MUCH easier.