How do I keep the unhatched eggs from being moved by the hatched chicks?

[MA Mama]

How do I keep the unhatched eggs from being moved by the hatched chicks? I have heard people hatch in egg cartons, but how does this work, and where do the chicks go after they hatch? Do they just plop out?

 

[MA Mama]

The later eggs of my last hatch were definately rolled all over the place.

 

[Provident Acres]

I've been hatching in foam egg cartons for awhile now and I like it better. They zip and pop the top open like a lid, rest for a bit and then out they go.

 

[MA Mama]

OK, cool! So, dumb question, do they get hurt as they emerge from the egg onto the wire flooring? I'm sure they don't since you do it, but it seems like a drop! Any reason for foam versus cardboard? Also, you put them in the carton at lockdown, right?

 

[Provident Acres]

Yep, I put them in the carton at lock down. I line the bottom of my incubators with shelf liner, the stuff you use in the kitchen cabinets. I buy the kind with the little square holes in it not the solid kind. So when they come out they land on that. I don't like the chicks being on the wire personally. I use the foam egg cartons because that's what I use here for our eating eggs.

 

[MA Mama]

You have been very helpful - thank you so much.

 

[builderone]

Thanks for the info I am gonna get some shelf liner i like that idea.

 

[Provident Acres]

Your welcome.

Good luck on your hatch!

 

[builderone]

I hope it goes well, I just built a new incubator for this batch. so far it is working good.

 

[farmerChef]

Don't use paper egg cartons. They can suck the moisture and lower your humidity. I also save the tops for eggs that are too smalll or big for the cups, they get rolled a little, but not as much as loose eggs. I also like using the shellf liner. Its less messy and chicks won't get stuck to it. Ive had a few chicks get stuck to the wire while they where drying off.