Hatching in paper cartons

[KalikoFarms]

Thanks for saying that I had mine in one bator turning then had my hatchingbator ready with cartons and just changed them over. does that sound right? Temp stablized 99.5 and humididty is steady at 65%.
Thanks
Rita

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Sounds good to me.

 

[KalikoFarms]

This is the hardest part of hatching eggs, Just went into lockdown and keep checking for chicks:cd I sat there for over an hour this morning just waiting. Cant help it I am so excited every time

Rita

 

[eggdd]

i use egg cartons for my hatching - - cutting the bottom of each individual crate out. the chicks have no issue getting out of the egg (i was concerned about that, but it's all good). they still knock the other eggs, but i suspect not nearly as bad as them just laying in the incubator.

i agree with one of the previous posters - all of my eggs have hatched within 24 (ish) hours of one another. i've read where some eggs are hatching for a period of a few days, but that has never happened to me. the ones who haven't hatched by day 22, again for me, do not hatch. there are things you can do to try and tell if the chicks are okay in the egg or not. read up on that.

with my most recent hatch, i put paper towels on top of the wire in the incubator in hopes of making clean-up a bit easier. that worked nicely. if you haven't hatched before, get ready for a mess - - and i mean an icky, gross mess.

 

[peepblessed]

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May I ask the reason for cutting out the bottoms? What happens if you don't?

 

[eggdd]

Quote:
May I ask the reason for cutting out the bottoms? What happens if you don't?

for air circulation - - the eggs need the moisture the last three days - - which is why you rank up the humidity. i am only using the egg carton too keep the hatched chicks from playing a game of soccer with the unhatched eggs. basically, after i get done with the cutting, i only have the frame of the egg carton remaining - - just enough to keep the eggs in place.

i'm not sure what happens if you don't. i have always cut them.

 

[Katy]

I never cut the bottoms out and they do just fine.

 

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
When budget allows , we are planning on getting a second bator for hatching. So The next one I will get I will order the turner.

Were worried about them playing soccer too.

This has been a great thread and it's great to hear different ways others have had success.

I hope everyone has lots of healthy happy fuzzy chicks!

 

[KalikoFarms]

Thanks again for alllllll of the egggcelent information. I had read where you put paper towels in the place where the water goes and place papertowels down on the wire and I placed a small baby jar right under one of the holes in the bator top with water in it and a papertowel wicked down in it. This has really helped me keep my humidity at 65-70%. Now if the fuzzybutts will just start doing something. I locked down a day early. Lockdown should have been today, so I hope thats not going to hender anything. I have read also that a day early dosent hurt them. So now its time to wait.................

and be patient for my fuzzybutts to get here

Rita