using egg cartons ?

[Coopa Cabana]

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What they should say is non-shipped laid by your home flock eggs!! It would eliminate a lot of heartbreak for first time hatchers.

The folks I purchased the incubator from use the same model as mine and are located VERY near by. They hatch batch after batch year after year and are incubating some now as well. They follow manufacturer's instructions for this model with great success so I guess I'll do the same and hope for the best. (I have a 50/50 blend of my own eggs and outsiders - and I am well aware that I have NO idea what I'm doing .... )

That sounds perfect - to have someone close to you (climate-wise) using the same model with good hatches. I can't think of a better recommendation. You're gonna do just fine! And don't forget - there was a time that each and every one of us had no idea what we were doing.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I had a BR go broody last year. My first experience with hatching. It was pretty much a disaster. I collected 10 eggs for her. WAY too ambitious in hindsight. She broke all but 4 of them by the end. 2 attempted to hatch. One survived. And mother BR abandoned that one pretty early on. I ended up losing "Duff", my flockless chick, after 2 months. I was away. Things went wrong in the coop and she was killed. I was truly devastated. I am DETERMINED to find a way to bring healthy, viable chicks into this world!!!!!! I am prepared for the worst but hope for the best.

 

[Katy]

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Good luck with your hatch

 

[wowmanacat]

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I am going to have PRACTICE eggs since my chickens are on med for 7 to 10 days. I can't eat them so might as well try to hatch them once I get my incubator made later this week. going to set the eggs next Sat, by then I should have 14 to 21 eggs to set.

 

[clairabean]

Clairabean - am on day 7 just added 1/3 cup water -(1st time hatcher) when it is time for lock down how would it be to put half eggs down on wire on side and other half in cartons...will this make a difference...I too am very interested....talk to me about the water thing please, you have experience, (temps stable 99.5 Hum.38 for 6 days) today I added water, one red plug and temp same Humidity up to 48... should I keep adding water? how much? can't see well, will remove one egg and keep it out when I candle on day 10...Help thank you

I have a homemade bator, so my humidity controls are different than a commercially bought bator. Sorry.​

 

[bald egg]

I've seen other people place their eggs in homemade paper cups. I was wondering if anyone has ever used 4 cup coffee filters at lock down? They would wick moisture and contain the mess. In theory anyway. This is my first hatch. Or, should I just leave them in the cartons. I was also wondering about the transition from being pointy side down to on their side?? Does this effect anything?

 

[aveca]

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I'm not saying it can't work for some people where they live, but if I incubated that way all the eggs I incubate would have drowned chicks in them.

I thought you guys might be interested in how I have been doing this....I have 10 eggs shipped from arizona and 10 eggs from my own barn in right this minute. All of the air cells were ...lets say beyond badly damaged in transit from AZ..they get run through air port terminals and down bumpy trams and kicked into trucks over bumpy roads and finnaly at your door..Sadly its the post offices job to get things to you pretty fast. they process so much mail that they dont much care what happens inbetween except to get them to you Because of that you can pretty much expect extream damage . plus when they fly on the planes the air pressure can really do a number on air cells like your ear drums..

do you know how much water I have in the incubator right this minute? NONE. When I got the shipped eggs, I set them to rest for full 24 hours on counter..still very messy air sacks..one was so bad that it was all little bubbles..that one never developed...then I set mine in I never turned the egg turner on for 7 days,with shipped eggs never added one drop of water due to severe damage to air cells..In doing that am trying to dry down the eggs and give the badly shaken embryos a strong start and air cells heal. the embryo can begin to surround the cell with some veining and strengthen it.

At this point 5 of the air cells have settled completly, they other 6 are still little sloppy but lot better than they were..still added not one drop of water and cells look exactly as they are supposed to right this minute..This method really helps damaged shipping eggs rest and get a great start..as for my own eggs ..same thing except they are the ONLY eggs that will be laid down come lockdown..all of the eggs that were shipped will be hatched in egg cartons due to weaker air cells.. We use paper carton bottom only. styro can leach dangerous chems..if you have enough air circulating might not hurt anything..but stryos are fine when chilled,,just do funny things when heated.

The only time I add water is at lockdown and its hot water on bowls with sponges and also in water trays.I put the eggs in paper plates, all shipped eggs are upright in paper cartons..some people say that sryro cartons can leach a certain chemical that can be dangerous when breathed by new hatched chicks and leaches into the shells.. the little paper plates for my home grown eggs makes clean up =easier..

The darker the egg shell the harder it is to dry them down and get the air cell like they are supposed to look say at 14 days..lighter eggs and thinner shelled eggs might need a little water added to keep them from evaporating little too dry. Mine are brown eggs..last hatch went so smooth, they just popped out so fast it was wonderful and not one stich of water added..until lockdown.

Last hatch was exactly 10 eggs none were shipped these are mine..8 have hatched and 2 still drying off in bator..here are the 8 waiting for the last to to dry a bit and get up on thier feet.. .

 

[kingsfarm]

temps back to 99.5 and 38 Humidity...what are paper cartons...are they the gray egg cartons look like cardboard .. not styroform.? I checked and I have 2 of the gray cartons...someone said they are pulp cartons...so what are paper cartons?

 

[Katy]

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pulp and paper are the same....the grey cardboard looking ones.

 

[kingsfarm]

Katy, went to look for my gray egg cartons and they are gone...will start trying to round some up..need 4, will 4 fit in incubator...my friend is baffled at why I want to do this with egg cartons, she has not heard of it either....told her we will compare hatchs at end of our journey and decide what way to go from now on....thank you for your help ... day 8, temps same...I sure hope they are correct, they do not fluctuate............G