Question about how an egg sits. Very important and all opinons wanted

[chellebyerly]

okay, with the help of some great folks here I have established that I have a pretty good bator.

Thank you

I have even fiqured out how to use it.
again Thank you.

NOW, for how to lay the eggs IN there.

It has 2 turners. I plan on using these. THEN, on day 18 I will take the eggs and put them on bottom, under the 2 turners, cause I have fears of them falling and getting caught in the arms of the turner.

Here is my question.

I have wooden boxes that came with the bator (not sure if they are after market, or sold with it.. )

Do you set cartons in there? putting the eggs with big side up (pointy side down)
then they shift left and right as the arms turn?


now when I put them in the bottom, do I lay them on their side? take them out of the carton adn lay them down?

OR do I leave them in their carton and let them sit pointy side down and they will pip and zip on their own, then walk out of the carton? (after getting their land legs...)

and why am I doing this? chickens dont put them pointy side up or down, they drop them in and the egg lays naturally on its side, with the chicken moving, turning and adjusting as she see's fit. But never turning them on their tops or bottoms...



I dont want the chick to acclimate itself to being point side up/down what ever and then laying it on its side and screwing with its sense of whats up adn down, but I dont want it to need to be pointy side up, or pip and zip in the half that is stuck in the carton...

Did any of this make sense?
And please use terms that would make it easy for a moron to understand, I am blonde, plus I have 4 kids annoying me at all times. So I have to learn while multitasking...

tell me your method, and why you do that (cause my grandmother did it and told me to is completly acceptable. ) so I can understand what makes sense to me.

 

[willowcol]

I think the pointy end down helps the air sac stay at the top. Yes just lay them on thier sides the last few days. I tried hatching in the carton and it didn't turn out to well for me. Not sure about the wooden boxes.

 

[Crickett]

When a hen sets, the eggs naturally point pointy side downward, even if the eggs are on their side, the pointy side is a bit lower. The air cell is in the rounded part and the chick uses that as a sort of "compass" to know wich way to point their head. (toward the round end, not the pointy end) It also helps when they are pipping, makes it a bit easier for the chick. Hope this helps some.

 

[newdock]

I keep them in a carton during the first 18 days to facilitate turning (don't have an automatic turner) and then I will take this batch out and lay them on their sides.

The last batch I left in the cartons and one baby pipped too low and couldn't get out because the carton was in the way. It died.

 

[Ruditchka]

I think hatching out of the cartons would not be as successful as laying the eggs on their side due to the possibility of chicks trying to break out the smaller end. If the chicks break out while in cartons survive, they should easily survive the laying on side method, but not all chicks that broke out on their sides may survive the egg carton method due to the cartons re-inforcing areas for the chicks to otherwise break through having the shells against more sides of the carton than just the base if hatched laying down, not to mention breached chick difficulties. Just my opinion though!

 

[the_eagle69]

love the way you wrote your post point end goes down for the first 18 day the air sack is at the top that way (this you already know) when i move to the hatching tray i lay thelm on there side. i do this cause it is what the book that came with my bator say to do. for real tho this lets the chick move in the egg and move the egg as needed to hatch at this point the chick knows what is best. Now as for what the chicken does in the nest she does move the eggs around as she thinks is best she gets up to eat and drink but also to let air to the eggs.

 

[chellebyerly]

ahhhh great!! so for once I did know what I was doing

LOL

Thanks everyone for their replies!

so its

carton, pointy side down day 1-18
turning by either hand or automatic arm

lay on side day 18-21 or till they hatch


Thanks everyone!

newdock & willowcool, that is my BIGGEST fear, them pippin and zippin and gettin out of that mean ole hard egg, only to hit a brick wall made of compressed cardboard that they cant get past...

ruditchka, yes, you said it better than me. them not getting past the carton, just incase they wernt listening when God gave them explicet directions on WHERE to pip and how...


The_eagle69, I try to use idiot proof terms.. ;-)

 

[the_eagle69]

thanks that way i can understand thelm also one other thing please type slow as i do not read very fast.