Question about lockdown/hatching

[DoubletakeFarm]

For some reason I haven't seen this question addressed or I just can't find it. I've been incubating for a few years now but I don't understand something: I put my eggs in lockdown with the air cells in the right position for the chick to hatch. But when they start hatching the chicks that hatch first knock all the other eggs around and knock them out of position. It's like bator bumper cars. Isn't this effecting my hatch rate? Wouldn't that mess up the chick that hasn't hatched yet? I tried leaving the rails in once to avoid this, but it seemed to me that it was too tight and that the chick needed to rock around to get out of the egg. I see that some people use egg cartons, but I was afraid there wouldn't be enough air circulation in the incubator with the egg cartons in there.

Advice? Am I wrong thinking that this messes up the ones that haven't hatched yet?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

For some reason I haven't seen this question addressed or I just can't find it. I've been incubating for a few years now but I don't understand something: I put my eggs in lockdown with the air cells in the right position for the chick to hatch. But when they start hatching the chicks that hatch first knock all the other eggs around and knock them out of position. It's like bator bumper cars. Isn't this effecting my hatch rate? Wouldn't that mess up the chick that hasn't hatched yet? I tried leaving the rails in once to avoid this, but it seemed to me that it was too tight and that the chick needed to rock around to get out of the egg. I see that some people use egg cartons, but I was afraid there wouldn't be enough air circulation in the incubator with the egg cartons in there.

Advice? Am I wrong thinking that this messes up the ones that haven't hatched yet?

The experts and experienced hatchers will say no it doesn't affect the hatch. I have my own reservations about that. You can use cartons which do cut down on the chicken egg soccer. People that use them cut them down and cut a circle out of the bottoms of each cup for air circulation. (Just like the turners in the styro bator have holes in the bottoms.) I personally like to be a rebel and I remove my chicks periodically through out the hatch. I do not have a strict hands off policy during lockdown/hatch. While I don't play around opening my bator for no reason, I will remove my chicks once they are up and running. When they have had time to warm up and start drying and are playing king of the hill, they go to the brooder. I keep my humidity up to 75% and I am not worried about shrinkwrapping. While there is always more chance of that happening when you open the bator, it is not a high probability and my ressearch says it happens far less than people make out. I have had no problems to date, but like I said, I keep my humidity well above the least recommended.

 

[scflock]

I can only base my current opinion on my three hatches this year, but my first two hatches I took fluffy chicks out. I couldn't stand watching them punt the eggs. I had hatch rates of 75% and 55%, but I think my 55% was a result of trying a lower humidity, which didn't work for me (sorry AmyLynn).
My last hatch, I made myself stay out of the incubator and let the hatch run its course. I hatched 22 of 23. One good hatch isn't enough to prove a theory, but leaving them alone certainly didn't hurt

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I can only base my current opinion on my three hatches this year, but my first two hatches I took fluffy chicks out. I couldn't stand watching them punt the eggs. I had hatch rates of 75% and 55%, but I think my 55% was a result of trying a lower humidity, which didn't work for me (sorry AmyLynn).
My last hatch, I made myself stay out of the incubator and let the hatch run its course. I hatched 22 of 23. One good hatch isn't enough to prove a theory, but leaving them alone certainly didn't hurt

LOL.. That's why I have the big "you have to find what works for you" rant. Because one thing doesn't work for everyone. It's funny how people's variables can be so different yet yeild similar results. The goal is to find what works for you regardless of how others do it. My philliosophy is never be sorry for the way you do it (no matter what anyone thinks) as long as it works for you. Hands off definitely does not hurt. But I feel the flip side of that is, circumstances allowing, you can be less hands off and still have the same results. However, the variables aren't neccessarily the same for the opposite methodology. (IE: A person can be a "handsoff hatcher" and have wonderful hatches at 60-65% humidity. A person can have wonderful hatches being a not so "handsoff" hatcher-but not necessarily with the same variables -in this case humidity. The chances of shrinkwwrapping a chick is going to be greater at 60-65% humidity if you open than at 70-75%) So while different methodology can produce the same outcomes, the variables w/in them will most likely be different.

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

Quote:
Me too. They tell you to stop turning so the chicks can get in position, but once that first chick hatches it knocks the rest of the eggs all over the place. Plus, if you picture how they hatch under a hen, they aren't getting knocked around there.

I did find a bunch of threads about it now. I had to search for "egg cartons".