Is this a bad idea?

[Hazel2006]

Saw someone put cups in their incubator to make for easier clean up......will this mess up temps or humidity inside? Also do I adjust temperature at all or just increase humidity I am at day 18.

 

[Toddrick]

Please clarify your question. What are the cups for? I used small cups for humidity, but you are saying they are for cleanup? I wouldn't worry about cleanup, it isn't that big of a deal.

Just humidity at 65 at lockdown, and try and keep temp the same. You are supposed to open more air vents too though, which makes it hard to keep the humidity up. Adding a sponge that you can squirt water on without opening the lid really helps.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I think I've seen what they are talking about. Each egg sits in a little "cup" so when hatched the cup catches any egg goo and it doesn't get all over the screen on the bottom. I only had two chicks hatch in my first attempt but there wasn't much to clean up egg wise and you still need to completely clean and sanitize your incubator after each hatch regardless of what you use. I did use the shelf liner stuff over my screen, more so it was a little more cushion than for clean up.

 

[Hazel2006]

Well this incubator comes with little wire dividers and I just had the eggs resting pointy side down against each other in a line down the middle with a piece of cardboard acting as a "bookend" and keeping them all upright but figured that I couldn't leave them that way for hatching. Should I just t lay them down on the floor of the incubator? I just saw someone that stuck them in Dixie cups and then when they hatched u just throw out the cups and have no mess. I just worried with the cups the fan is probably not able to circulate air as well so don't know if it's a good idea. As I said this is my first time and I don't know anyone who's hatched eggs before to get advice from so am probably overthinking the whole thing

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Personally I would just lay them down. That gives the little guys/girls room to push out of their shell and like I said, you have to do a good clean up of the bator after anyway and I didn't experience that much of a mess. I would think that if the top of the cups come to high above the actual egg that it would be possible that it would interfere with air circulation around the egg. Even when people incubate in egg cartons the bottom of those cups are cut with holes for circulation. My opinion.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Just remember, like Toddrick said, don't forget to increase the humidity up to 65+ at lockdown and try not to open the bator unless neccessary to add water for humidity so the chicks don't get shrink wrapped while hatching. After they dry off and fluff up if you don't have any pips you can move them to the brooder.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Well this incubator comes with little wire dividers and I just had the eggs resting pointy side down against each other in a line down the middle with a piece of cardboard acting as a "bookend" and keeping them all upright but figured that I couldn't leave them that way for hatching. Should I just t lay them down on the floor of the incubator? I just saw someone that stuck them in Dixie cups and then when they hatched u just throw out the cups and have no mess. I just worried with the cups the fan is probably not able to circulate air as well so don't know if it's a good idea. As I said this is my first time and I don't know anyone who's hatched eggs before to get advice from so am probably overthinking the whole thing

I know what your getting at. I would never hatch in the wire dividers as the chicks can become trapped in them, they need to be removed at lockdown. I too have the Brinsea octagon 20 and now always hatch in cut down egg cartons with good results. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but that's just my findings. I have found it dosnt affect the temp or humidity or air circulation. It does make clean up that little bit easier although I still do a thorough clean after. Here is a pic of my last hatch in egg cartons 11/11 hatched that went into lockdown.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

 

[Hazel2006]

Thanks for the great replies. I love the egg carton idea. I did remove the cups because i think they were to tall so i just laid them down.

 

[red horse ranch]

Be sure to cut out part of the bottom of the cup so that air can flow freely around the egg. I have used egg cartons for guinea eggs and they work really well.