OK. After my miserably failed hatch with shipped eggs, it's been suggested that I hatch them in egg cartons. I have another batch of eggs to go into the hatcher tomorrow, and would love some help with this. Do I just put them small end down? Will the chicks pip into the top end? Is that how they find the air sac? The last hatch all died. When I opened the eggs, only 3 had pipped into the air sac. I suspect humidity problems, but possibly mal-shaped air pockets too. Thanks.
I've never heard of hatching them in egg cartons. You'd need to rotate the eggs if you want them to hatch.
I hatch in cartons. I seem to get good results whether I use the paper ones or the styrofoam ones. I cut them down a bit and put a hole in the bottom. Then, instead of turning the individual eggs, I "turn" the whole incubator. I use a small block of styrofoam that I place at the middle of one side of the incubator's bottom edge. Then I move that styrofoam about every 4 hours to the next side and the next side, so that each side spends about 4 hours a day UP in the air, thus leaning the eggs in the opposite direction. It's a poor man's turner! My block is 1" high x 3" long x 2" deep and I move it at 6 am, 10, 2, 6, and 10 pm. I add my water through the vent holes in the top and only open the bator when I am candling. I try to keep the humidity above 35 and below 45 until the last 3 days, and then I pump it up to 60-65%. This has worked really well for me, but there are lots of methods that work. I think it all depends on finding the method that works for YOUR bator and YOUR micro-climate. HTH
I too use the egg carton method and have had really great results.I just tip the cartons about 3xd,I use a paper back book under the long side of the cartons rotate it to each side.Way less time with bator open for turning by hand and the little chicks are not rolling the eggs all over when they hatch out.Lot easier to clean up.
I was thinking of just using this for the hatcher. The eggs are in a hova 1588 with auto-turner now, but will be going into the hatcher tomorrow. Someone suggested the carton method instead of laying them flat. I'd never used that and wanted to make sure it would work. Can the chicks get out of the eggs if they are standing up?
Ive seen good an bad results from the carton hatch method. It didnt work at all for me. I'm playing with hatching with them at a 45 degree angle now.
do you just put them in and not touch them after day 18? I did on friday night and have not touched mine. cardboard carton and did not cut a hole in the bottom of each egg hole...hmmmm....right or wrong?? anyone??
