Hatching In Egg Cartons- Do's or Dont's?

[Faerytalefarm]

Any suggestions for hatching in cartons?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Just do it! Oh, and some folks cut out the bottoms a bit. Happy hatching!

 

[Faerytalefarm]

Quote:
Do you know what the purpose is for cutting out the bottoms of the cartons is?

 

[Gypsy07]

To give the fresh air and the humidity as much access as possible to the whole surface of the egg shell. I hatch in cartons, and I cut out the bottom of the egg 'cup' as well as cutting down the sides of the carton as well. You just need enough carton left to hold the egg in place, adn you don't want a chick pipping below the top of the carton and maybe getting stuck or not being able to get its beak out to the fresh air...

Carton hatching is great - I love it. It's tidy, and it's easy to keep track of which egg is which, as they never roll around...

 

[Faerytalefarm]

Quote:
Thanks! It sounds like the answer for unhatched eggs being rolled around by new chicks.

 

[adkins90]

Can anyone post a pic of this method? and how much to cut down cartons?

Thanks!

 

[philogirl]

Quote:
Thanks! It sounds like the answer for unhatched eggs being rolled around by new chicks.

I just hatched 20 chicks out of 21 with cartons for the first time. I used 1 styro carton and one fiber. I have read to use styro cartons, but only had one. What I read said fiber absorbs moisture. I had no problem with moisture. In fact in the end the humidity was too high.

I cut the bottom out of each cell. I did not cut down the carton. I might for bantam eggs.

It was perfect. All generally pipped on the high side. No rolling eggs. I tilted the cartons against the incubator sides. Chicks tumbled out of carton. Most of the shells stayed in the carton.

I will definitely do this again, especially with shipped eggs.

You can see my one remaining egg in the carton at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/avhs-chickens. I just cleaned up all the empty shells and took the empty carton out.

 

[teamsunbelt]

I used a carton for both of my first hatches. I had one egg that I found to have pipped low, so I layed it out and it hatched just fine. I does hold the eggs very still.

Just a thought for you pros, I would think that holding the egg steady would give the chick more leverage for pipping and hatching. In trying to recreate the nest like enviroment, eggs do not roll all over the nest. My first try at hatching saw all of my chicks come from the carton eggs, none from the floor. My last hatch was 5 out of 7. 2 stopped growing around lockdown time. The upside down pip would seem to be a problem in a carton.

 

[cmom]

I used to use the cartons but I don't anymore.

 

[Mr. Nappy]

Cmom, why not anymore, if I may ask?