How does the carton method work with hatching eggs?

[Tanichca]

Hey all! I have 20 eggs on day one, and already see some problems, such as the eggs rolling around in the bator if I accidentally bump the slightly unstable table. I'm considering switching to putting them in egg cartons, and I know that you have to cut off the bottom. My main question is how do I turn the eggs when they are upright in the carton? Any other info would be soooo helpful!
Thanks!
-Tani

 

[mstricer]

I will try to answer but for some reason I seem to be invisible on here so this will help to bump you to the top. Some cut holes in the bottom some don't. I only used this method once, before I got a turner. I didn't really like it. To me seemed like an unnatural way for them to hatch. As for turning you can put a book under on side of the bator and move it to the other for turning. I hope it works.
Michele

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I'm not a fan of hatching in a carton but it works great for other. If you cut the carton in to rows you can put the eggs in them an hold them still but they lay on there side. I think that works pretty pretty well.

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
I didn't like it either, it seemed like my chick was struggling to get out, I wanted to help her really bad. I haven't done it since. I have though thought about using the top half with that stuff they use to send chicks in it. They are called Excelsior Pads (chick bedding), here is a link
http://www.meyerhatchery.com/produc...Supplies&grd_prodone_filter=PRODUCT_ID = 'EX'
I wonder if you could put this in an incubator, just a thought never have done it.

 

[calgaryflames]

Hey i used egg cartons for my quail eggs and it worked fine for me. When I went into lock down I took the cartons out and put them on a kitchen drawer mat. One tip for manual turning I found out was to lick your finger and just spin the egg around. The light licking of the finger helped get "traction" on the egg to turn it. Sounds weird but it helped me!

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Quote:
Hi! First suggestion, move the incubator to a more stable place.
Personally, I haven't ^see a big difference in *hatchability* between eggs hatching in cartons and eggs hatching laid on their sides.
Here, it's a matter of time and/or space (I can fit many more eggs in the hatcher *in cartons*, than *laying on their sides*) in the hatcher.

Lisa
edit: ^seen

 

[Barbedwirecat]

Check out this link here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=19548-homemade-incubator

She hot glued PVC piping on the bottom of the cartons and just flips it to the other side (that's what and autoturner does) when she's turning.

 

[Faerytalefarm]

Quote:
I put paper towels over the wire to stabilize my eggs since I'm hand turning. However, I also have NO clue what I'm doing!

 

[comptonsgonecountry]

Quote:
This is exactly what I am doing with this batch of eggs that is due on the 21. I'm using a thick book and moving back and forth 3-4 times a day. We shall see how it goes.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I quit hatching in egg cartons because I was getting a 0% hatch rate. Now I use the egg cartons to hold the eggs upright during the first 18 days of incubation, but during lockdown I put them on their sides to hatch. Had much better hatch rates using this method.

~Aspen