Egg Cartons?

[KIDDSBANTAMS]

I also use paper cartons and I love it. The eggs stay in one place no kicking around and they stay dry and firm. I have have great hatch rates using them also.

 

[h4ppy-chris]

at lock down do you just leave the eggs point end down or lay them flat in the trays?

 

[Barbedwirecat]

Pointy end down, just like in the turner. This is my first time using cartons and I love it already.

 

[Swissmiss989]

I think I have been won over by the carton idea!

 

[h4ppy-chris]

sweet thats the way to go for me cheers

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[h4ppy-chris]

i have been reading this it may change your mind!
http://cmfarm.us/cartonhatch.html

 

[Gypsy07]

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Well, if you do have humidity problems you're more than likely going to have problems come hatch time anyway.
Which is pretty much what's said on that page.

Interestingly, I've read elsewhere that if eggs with too much moisture in them are rolled around in the bator, there's a high chance of the chicks drowning. The recommendation was to place them in cartons specifically to prevent this happening. Who knows which one is more correct?

If you have the rest of your incubation procedures sorted out, can hold a steady and correct temperature for the whole incubation, and can get your eggs to lockdown having lost the correct amount of moisture, I don't think cartons will improve your hatch rate in the slightest. They just make for a tidier hatch, that's all.

 

[Barbedwirecat]

CMF is still using them in his incubator though. I watched his hatch webcam and that's what he's been using? Maybe he found a good way to use them and hadn't updated that article.

I think cartons are great. No chick soccer practice.

 

[h4ppy-chris]

i see that he has them at 45 ish degrees, is this just for the cam or is it so the chicks hatch and roll down on to the floor?

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[Barbedwirecat]

Honestly I'm not sure on that. Probably for the camera, I don't see any reason why angled vs. flat would make a difference with the actual hatching. So I guess you could do what suits you if your incubator is big enough.

I got to thinking about hatch rate etc. While is seems like it wouldn't effect it (was long as your temp and humidity are correct and clean cartons) I would say being able to keep the egg in one position instead of rolling around with other chicks bumping it would make the chick less stressed trying to get turned the right way to hatch. Does that make sense? The more stable the egg through the hatch process, the better and stronger the chick should be. Hypothetically.