Using egg cartons to keep eggs upright during lockdown

[ChickensinSC]

I read about this recently. What are pros/cons? I have 6 eggs that are on day 17, that have been in an automatic egg Turner, and am wondering if I should try it.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I have hatched both ways, in cartons and just on their sides. For me the pros of cut down cartons is that you can monitor eggs during the hatching process as hatched chicks can’t knock or roll other eggs about. For shipped eggs it can keep the air cell in a more secure position if they are wonky or saddle shaped. Makes clean up after hatch slightly easier.
Cons > You can’t see if you have malpositioned chick that has pipped on the wrong end of the egg.
The cartons take up quite a lot of room in the incubator so I only use this method if I’m doing a small hatch.

Good luck with your hatch

 

[mesafox101]

I have hatched both ways, in cartons and just on their sides. For me the pros of cut down cartons is that you can monitor eggs during the hatching process as hatched chicks can’t knock or roll other eggs about. For shipped eggs it can keep the air cell in a more secure position if they are wonky or saddle shaped. Makes clean up after hatch slightly easier.
Cons > You can’t see if you have malpositioned chick that has pipped on the wrong end of the egg.
The cartons take up quite a lot of room in the incubator so I only use this method if I’m doing a small hatch.

Good luck with your hatch

the cons are a good point

 

[Fairview01]

I use the vertical egg turners that rock back and forth. When day 18 comes up they get set in egg cartons. Since the week before they were incubated while I was collecting the eggs to start, the air cell was always oriented correctly. I've done both ways. I won't go back to laying them down. I don't worry about a pip in the wrong location because it doesn't happen. Right from day one of incubation the air cell is located at the top and the developing embryo has 21 days to move in the correct position.

Granted its not natural but imo, a lot of bad pips is the result of the first few hatchers playing pin ball with the ones that haven't yet hatched.

 

[ChickensinSC]

Thanks everyone.