Hatching in a egg carton or on there sides with local eggs?

[Dzwina]

I have three Silkie eggs in my homemade incubator. They are local eggs and seem to be doing well. At the moment I am on day 11, the eggs all looks great! I have seen movement in all three now and the air cells seem to match the pics I have found on BYC. The only thing I am unsure of is this; The eggs are in a carton at the moment (been cut down to four spots with almost all of the sides cut away). Should I leave the eggs as is or lay them on the sides for the lockdown?

 

[Dzwina]

Any one?

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I would leave them in i find i get better hatches when upright then on the side

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I had a pip on the wrong end and it died because agains the carton, so if I have local eggs I just lay them as all sides are free from any binding of pips... GOOD LUCK! And below is a paste from my notes in https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101 note that typically the beak of the chick will be located in this lower end of the dip in air cell so when On side its naturally up!

Pics are showing the distinctive appearance of the air cell at 'dip down' and the correct position to place it in on the incubator floor.The egg is now out of balance and no longer needs turning. If the egg is placed on a smooth surface it will always roll to the same position which is the side with the greatest amount of air cell uppermost. This now becomes the top of the egg and a cross marked on the shell so the egg always remains in this position. The chick is now lying in its optimum position for hatching and will find maneuvering into its final hatching position easier to achieve. The sudden change in size and shape of the air cell is caused by the chick changing its position within the egg. again refer to https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed


HOW THE CHICK EMERGES FROM THE SHELL http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/resources/egg_to_chick/procedures.html
The head of the chick develops at the large end of the egg. Between the 15th and 16th days, the chick orients itself so that its head is near the air cell at the large end of the egg. Not long before the chick is ready to attempt to make its way out of the shell its neck acquires a double bend so that its beak is under its right wing and pointed toward the air cell. About the 19th day the chick thrusts its head forward. Its beak quickly breaks through the inner shell membrane, and the chick's lungs begin to function. Complete breathing by the lungs usually does not occur until the 20th day of incubation.
Using its egg tooth (a tiny, sharp, horny projection on the end of its beak), the chick pecks at the shell thousands of times. Finally, the young bird pips its way through the shell and begins to breathe air directly from the outside. After the chick has made a hole in the shell, it stops pipping for three to eight hours and rests. During this time, it is acclimating its lungs to the outside atmosphere. After the resting stage is completed, the second stage of pipping begins.
The chick begins to turn slowly inside the egg. As it turns, usually counter-clockwise, the cutting edge of the chick tooth continues to chip away. In two to five hours, the chick has made about three quarters of a turn inside the egg. As the chick progresses in its movement around the shell, it begins pushing on the egg cap (large end). Squirming and struggling, the chick works feverishly for about 40 minutes pushing at the cap. Finally with a vigorous shove, the chick breaks free from the shell, still wet and panting.
When the chick is freed completely from the shell, it lies still. Its energy has been virtually exhausted, and it is extremely tired. After a rest of some few minutes, the chick begins to rise to its feet and gain coordination of its muscles. Within a few days the egg tooth, its usefulness over, will disappear.

After 21 days of incubation, the chick finally begins its escape from the shell. The chick begins by pushing its beak through the air cell. The allantois, which has served as its lungs, begins to dry up as the chick uses its own lungs. The chick continues to push its head outward. The sharp horny structure on the upper beak (egg tooth) and the muscle on the back of the neck help cut the shell. The chick rests, changes position, and keeps cutting until its head falls free of the opened shell. It then kicks free of the bottom portion of the shell. The chick is exhausted and rests while the navel openings heal and its down dries. Gradually, it regains strength and walks. The incubation and hatching is complete. The horny cap will fall off the beak within days after the chick hatches.http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_chicks_embryo.html

 

[Dzwina]

Thank you! I feel like I shouldn't of put then in the carton for the first 18 days. But everything seems to be going well.. you don't think changing position will hem them. My gut tells me to lay them flat...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

your welcome! kit!!!