seriously, another question. turning eggs

[HEChicken]

No, they were in an egg carton. I didn't worry about "percentages". The reason for turning is so that the fetus doesn't adhere to the side of the egg. As long as you keep turning them, that won't happen. If you really wanted to, you could turn them four ways - tilt the front, side, back, other side - but I just tilted from side to side and had a successful hatch.

 

[Inkheart]

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About to start my first incubate and trying to decide the benefits to carton or non carton as far as turning etc

 

[funnybirds]

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When you do the egg carton , do you trim out the bottom of the carton or how do you do this? I'm still fairly new to hatching and am looking into ways to turn with out opening as well (and without the fairly prohibitive cost of another turner). Do you leave them in the carton during lockdown or how do you handle that?
Thanks!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

A Carton you say? What are the benefits an risks of that? I am on day two, would it be too late to do that?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Some trim the bottom of the carton, some don't. I did, now I don't. I see no difference in hatch rate. I take them out of the carton & let them on their sides for the last 3 days, without turning or disturbing them.

 

[HEChicken]

I've just done the one hatch so don't have anything else to compare with. I think it is mostly personal preference. For me, the turning is one reason I chose to do the egg carton. Some people incubate in egg cartons and then lay them directly on the wire to hatch. I decided to also hatch in the egg cartons for the main reason that the chicks that hatch first will play soccer with the eggs still trying to hatch. I prefer to do things as close to how Mama Hen would do them as possible but neither method reallymimics Mama Hen. However when the eggs are under Mama, the hatched chicks are not ABLE to play soccer with the unhatched ones in the same way they can on wire in an incubator and that is why I decided to let them hatch in the carton. I think next time I will take them out of the carton for hatching though, for two reasons. First, I noticed the chicks had the dickens of a job getting out of the shell when in the carton. They zipped and popped the hatch easily enough but then sat there in the bottom of the egg shell trying to work their way out - not easy when you're exhausted already, and not that coordinated yet either. One poor chick worked and worked to get out of its egg shell - only to land in the empty egg shell next to it and have to do it all over again. Second, two of my chicks pipped low down in the egg and I wasn't able to see the pip because it was below the level of the egg carton.

 

[Inkheart]

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What is the supposed benefit to the carton - ease of turning? Or other reasons

 

[HEChicken]

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I did trim out the bottom of the carton after learning it provides better ventilation. I don't know how necessary it was but it didn't hurt anything either. I used a styrofoam carton and a pair of scissors - really easy and didn't take long either.

Do you leave them in the carton during lockdown or how do you handle that?

I guess I took too long typing above because by the time I hit 'submit' there were already several new posts on this thread. Hope you don't mind if I refer you to my previous post?​

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

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What is the supposed benefit to the carton - ease of turning? Or other reasons

I have a Sportsman 1502, that the whole tray tilts, so the cartons hold them from rollong around during the turn.

 

[Inkheart]

Quote:
I did trim out the bottom of the carton after learning it provides better ventilation. I don't know how necessary it was but it didn't hurt anything either. I used a styrofoam carton and a pair of scissors - really easy and didn't take long either.

Do you leave them in the carton during lockdown or how do you handle that?

I guess I took too long typing above because by the time I hit 'submit' there were already several new posts on this thread. Hope you don't mind if I refer you to my previous post?​

Sorry about that! We crossed over there! So styrofoam is better than paper/cardboard?
Thanks so much for your input!