Egg hatching in an egg carton pictures!

[jvls1942]

Quote:
On a related note, do you use an automatic turner in your bator or do you turn the eggs yourself? Just wondered...if one was to use an auto turner and then on day 18 took the eggs out of the auto turner and put them into an egg carton to finish the hatching process, if you thought that would be a smart move???

If you are using a turner and then taking the eggs out on day 18. I see no point in putting them into a carton. just lay them on their sides on the bottom of the hatcher and they will do just fine..

The egg carton method is for turning convenience in that you can tilt the whole bator from side to side to turn the eggs.. that way you do not have to open the bator and let out the warm and humid air inside..

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

That's what I do - I use the turner for 18 days and then put them in the cartons to hatch. Just did that this morning as a matter of fact!! Hoping for 6 BO's Saturday!!!!

Magsrags - congrats on your babies!!!

 

[Chicken Woman]

Thats what I do. Day 18 the turner comes out and eggs go into cardboard carton.

I trim the carton down about a quarter of the way and I cut shall hole in bottoe of each cup about the size of a pencil eraser.

 

[TaLani]

Guess what I was thinking is that when oldtimegator stated that it gives them stability to hatch in the egg carton, that even though I wouldn't want to open the bator, that you if you're using an auto turner you should take the turner out to avoid injuries and that the egg carton might make it easier for them to hatch (after taking them out of the turner) in that they'll be more stable and not rolling around. Hope all that made sense. Guess I was thinking of combing both hatching methods. Just a quick thought I had.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
good thought. nothing wrong with your idea.. I actually am toying with the idea of laying the eggs on their sides in the cartons.. sort of a more natural position.. I had to do that with some large goose eggs that I had last year and they hatched just fine..

I think the idea of standing eggs on their ends came out of the large commercial hatcheries a long time ago.. they could get more eggs into the same amount of space.. I am assuming that you can probably get 10% more eggs standing on end rather than laying down.. at 40,000 eggs per hatcher, that adds up to 400 more chicks per hatch at 1.75 / chick is a lot of money..

 

[magsrags]

I don't use a turner and don't even have one. Wish I did!

I just use my son's old building blocks to tilt my egg cartons back & forth on a slant. LOL Works for me! If I tilted my whole bator...... I think the water would all run out the small hols on bottom?

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I don't use a turner. I turn my eggs twice a day by tilting the carton side to side. As much as I would like to turn them more often, I have to work and there is no one to turn them.

I have a Miss Prissy bator and there isn't room enough for a turner. However, I do have another cooler that is square and I think it is large enough to use a turner. After my current hatch is over, I think I'm going to change the guts of my current bator over to it and get a turner for it.

ETA...Yes, I would take the turner out on day 18 and put them in the carton.