Lock down mat/towel

[Th55]

im going to lockdown in 2 days. I’ve seen some pics that have put down paper towels under each egg, is that to keep them from moving, hold moisture or what? I’ve got an older little giant with metal wire floor should I put down anything or will they be ok on the wire?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Millions upon millions of chicks are hatched on wire. The chicks will be OK on the wire.

Different people do things for different reasons. Sometimes it makes sense and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. Incubators are different.

I don't know what picture you saw, how the paper towels were arranged, or why that person did it. It may have something to do with humidity. If you stick the corner of a paper towel or cloth towel in a water reservoir it will wick out moisture and raise the humidity since water can evaporate from a larger area. That's actually fairly common but not under each egg. Perhaps it has something to do with making it easier to clean up. It may be a home-made incubator so they need something like that. It may be some totally different reason.

You do not want anything slick in the incubator or brooder for them to walk on, the chicks can injure their legs if they slip. You don't want to mess up normal air flow, the chicks need fresh air. Wire works well for both of those.

It's a good question since you did not understand. It's much better to ask than to blindly do something just because you saw a photo. I'm not aware of anything that requires you to do anything like that. I don't put anything on my wire floor.

 

[Chickassan]

I do paper towels. They are to wick moisture and raise humidity quickly.
The bigger surface area the quicker humidity can be adjusted and the towels can be wet via the holes the plugs were in when using a LG so I don't have to open it. Last hatch I put a little chunk of sponge under the plug hole but still on the paper towels and dripped water on that so humidity stayed constant much longer.
Side benefit, chicks don't slide and easy clean up..

 

[chickens really]

I don't use anything..They do fine. I found using anything mold can grow..

 

[Chickassan]

Never been an issue, but it is in for only a few days in a meticulously cleaned incubator.."as clean as an LG can get anyway".
Maybe keeping the whole deal inside where the temp is constant keeps it at bay.
Hopefully it continues, the towels and sponge are big helps in the LG
i'd not be happy to give them up due to mold.

I don't use anything..They do fine. I found using anything mold can grow..

 

[Th55]

I’ll be darn if I can find the pic that got my attention about the paper towels but they had folded them into like a bowl for each egg. Wasn’t high sides maybe inch or so.
I figured it might be to help keep them separated and help with moisture.
lockdown is tomorrow and my humility is all over the place from 35 to 60. Although I intentionally tried to keep it 40-50 the Las 2 days to see if I could help increase the air sac size. Looks like it did help a couple of them. So I added some water this am to shoot for 50%.
I plan to put a sponge in there once I go lockdown to see if it will help stabilize the humidity but am afraid it will allow it to easily overdone. Will see how it goes, so far they all look good.

 

[Chickassan]

I use 1/4 of one of those rectangular dish sponges, seems to be right to keep the humidity stable.
Iv'e never seen paper towel bowls, always just line the bottom grate like so.

I’ll be darn if I can find the pic that got my attention about the paper towels but they had folded them into like a bowl for each egg. Wasn’t high sides maybe inch or so.
I figured it might be to help keep them separated and help with moisture.
lockdown is tomorrow and my humility is all over the place from 35 to 60. Although I intentionally tried to keep it 40-50 the Las 2 days to see if I could help increase the air sac size. Looks like it did help a couple of them. So I added some water this am to shoot for 50%.
I plan to put a sponge in there once I go lockdown to see if it will help stabilize the humidity but am afraid it will allow it to easily overdone. Will see how it goes, so far they all look good.

 

[Th55]

Here is pic I saw
It was in the article section
Thanks for feedback to all

 

[Ridgerunner]

Looks like they taped the corners to form "pockets". I'd guess the attempt was to keep the chicks from crawling all over the incubator and playing rugby with the other eggs. As active as the chicks are after they dry a bit I'm not sure how effective they would be. Did they say anything about why in the article?

 

[Th55]

They just mentioned to help during clean up.
Now that I have them in lockdown I’m wondering if they would help stabilize the egg while hatching, they seem very easy to move/roll around. Last one to hatch is sure to arrive dizzy.
I did put 4 of them in one incubator in the towel “bowls” and the remaining six eggs in the other incubator just on the wire.