information on egg carton incubation

[saltandpepper]

Good morning and also a Happy Valentines Day to all ! I was reading somewhere about incubating eggs in an egg carton. Can anyone tell me about this method and what procedures you are supposed to follow? Is this a good method ? If you are using an incubator with a turner you would still have to flip the carton by hand ,Am I correct in thinking this ? or would you turn each egg individually inside the carton? Just curious about this . and thanks for any information.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

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I have never used the egg cartons and I have great hatches without trying something some use. I do know that your not going to use the egg cartons until you take your eggs out of the turner on day 18. That's when you place the eggs in cartons if you have used a turner. They aren't turned by any means after day 18.

Hope that helped some.

 

[TarHeelBlue]

I just tried the egg carton method and was pretty pleased with it. Only had one problem - had one chick pip at the middle of the egg (??? confused chick) It wasn't having an easy time of zipping, so I took the egg out and laid it on the wire bottom of the hatcher. Took it only a few minutes to pop out after that.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

After many, many hatches in cartons I had my first experience with a chick who pipped and zipped the underside of the egg this weekend. I had seen the egg rocking a LOT and then hours later...nothing. I had to retrieve a chick and check the egg at that time because I heard distressed peeping. Sure enough...I picked up the egg and the chick was head down in the bottom of the carton with the egg on top. None the worse for wear, I laid him in the bottom of the incubator to dry off.

Trying to think of a good name for him now!!

 

[The Tinman]

How about naming it SUNNY since it was sunny side up!
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[tay_boe]

Good idea!

 

[HEChicken]

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Actually, the egg cartons can be used for the entire incubation and hatch. Not every incubator has a turner and if you don't have a turner, an egg carton can make it much easier to turn the eggs. I incubated mine in a carton, and then rather than open the incubator multiple times a day to turn the eggs, I just tilted the whole incubator on one end (thick book under one end) and when I needed to turn, I just moved the book to the opposite end.

Some people also hatch in cartons and some don't - personal choice. I chose to hatch in the cartons but next time I plan to take them out. I know a lot of people say that in three years of doing this they've only had one chick pip the wrong end yada yada, but in my case, out of 11 eggs in lockdown TWO pipped the wrong end. And unfortunately, I lost both as I wasn't able to help them in time due to other chicks hatching. It was enough to make me rethink the "hatching in cartons" thing, even though most people who do it don't have that experience.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I like it!! Sunny, it is!!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
Actually, the egg cartons can be used for the entire incubation and hatch. Not every incubator has a turner and if you don't have a turner, an egg carton can make it much easier to turn the eggs. I incubated mine in a carton, and then rather than open the incubator multiple times a day to turn the eggs, I just tilted the whole incubator on one end (thick book under one end) and when I needed to turn, I just moved the book to the opposite end.

Some people also hatch in cartons and some don't - personal choice. I chose to hatch in the cartons but next time I plan to take them out. I know a lot of people say that in three years of doing this they've only had one chick pip the wrong end yada yada, but in my case, out of 11 eggs in lockdown TWO pipped the wrong end. And unfortunately, I lost both as I wasn't able to help them in time due to other chicks hatching. It was enough to make me rethink the "hatching in cartons" thing, even though most people who do it don't have that experience.

Yes, I knew that, I was "assuming" that the OP would know if he didn't have a turner would start on day one! Was hoping someone with experience with egg carton method would chime.

 

[gryeyes]

I use the egg cartons for the entire hatch, now. But my incubator has an auto-turn cradle, in which it sits.

I've also had one little fella hatch upside down (yes, it was a cockerel - go figure!) and just picked him up and turned him over in the egg carton.