Forgot to cut bottom out of egg carton for hatch, is that super bad?

[Cowgirlgrace]

I have 3 Blue Cochins on lock down and due this afternoon. Haven't heard anything yet. I am trying the egg carton thing for the first time and am useing a cardboard carton. About a day after lockdown I realized I didn't cut a hole in the bottom. Did I kill my babies? I realize it is still early but wondered if people have hatched without the holes.

 

[ranchhand]

Been there, done that. They hatched fine, but now I remember to cut the first because of all the worrying I did!

Happy hatching!

Whoops, had 1 too many chicks there!

 

[debilorrah]

HOLES??? Tell me more please. It seems I know very little about this.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Well, from what I've read on BYC, when you hatch chicks in the cartons you are supposed to cut a hole in the bottom of the egg carton for ventilation.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I've heard this too and I've always done it until this current hatch. I forgotted.

I don't think it matters though.

 

[momreda]

Thank you for reminding me, tomorrow is lock down

 

[Katy]

I never have cut the bottoms out.....they hatch just fine.

 

[Brody's Broodello]

Second that Katy, I've never heard of that before! I've hatched HUNDREDS and they are just fine without a hole. About a hundred chicks in the last 30 days alone!

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[Cowgirlgrace]

Thanks eveyone, feeling much better. I'll let you know how the hatch goes.

 

[gckiddhouse]

Okay, I was assuming that I needed to take them out of the cardboard before lock down. I can leave them in? Is it better one way than the other? Is it bad to lay them flat when they have been incubating in the cartons? Oh, boy. I didn't think this through. Any advice?