using egg cartons ?

[HenPenny]

Pro and Con
I used egg cartons. I use Little Giant Incubator. It does not have much head space and the eggs in the carton really lowered the ceiling. The chickens that hatched kept bumping on the heating coil. Also it took up alot of floor space so when the chickens hatched out there were no room to walk. They just crawled back into the cup and slept.

I have 40 more eggs due next week.; I really don't know if I will use the cartons this time.

 

[Azriel]

I have 24 eggs in the 24 pack styro carton stuffed into my Eco 20, don't know how this is going to work, as there is no where for the chicks to go when they hatch. I have blue/green eggs, so it has been hard to candle, lock down is the evening of the 19th, I will try to candle 1 more time then to see if I can safely remove any of the eggs, but there are no stinkers yet and I think all are developing. I saw movement in all the eggs I could see into 2 nights ago. I did cut the bottoms out of the egg carton, but did not cut the sides down at all.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed, this is my 1st shipped eggs and am hoping for a good hatch.

 

[cmfarm]

I have a question for the person that was talking about not moving shipped eggs for 7 days after incubation. Do the embryos ever stick to the shells doing this?

 

[kingsfarm]

morning day 2..could not rest not knowing humidity in bator with NO therm/humidity thing in it.. slipped in the long large acurite thermometor I have in the only space available, now I worry about them burning their little feet on it...my goodness..Humidity is 60 now, I feel better but what will the chicks do for space? will be a success or not? guess will have to wait until Sunday, am NOT opening the incubator again... Only took a second and small crack to put the therm. back in.....any encouragement will be greatly appreciated.....

 

[CricketYang]

Ive hatched with and without cartons. I much prefer hatching with the incubator. It of course helps to keep them from being jostled by the chicks that have already hatched, but it also helps you keep them organized, like if you're having a staggered hatch. I think it also helps them zip around bc the eggs aren't rocking back and forth so they can use that as leverage. Also, it helps keep the mess of eggshells and membrane in one place.

ALSO... when they do hatch and are waiting for their siblings to come out, my babies went back into the empty slots and fell asleep in them, sitting upright like they were still in their shells! It was adorable! Mine did not hurt themselves falling out of the carton.

Oh yea, I have a Hova bator 1588, dry hatch @ 35% and on lockdown went to 65%. Fertility at 80% and an 82% hatch rate this time! Pretty good, I'd say. All the babies are jumping around, healthy and stuffing their faces. I just use the plastic, clear cartons that one of my customers gave me. I use it over and over again, sanitized of course.

 

[Lark Rise]

For my first 2 hatches, I set the eggs on the screen. For the 3rd hatch, I thought I'd try the carton method. What I found was that they take longer to come out when they are sitting upright in the carton than when they were laying on the screen. Also, some were pipped but couldn't seem to go further. It seemed like they were taking forever. They had pipped for over 24 hours and I thought they were dead, so I finally put the last few ones on their sides and within a couple hours they hatched. I won't be using the carton method for hatching again, only for incubating. Just my experience.

 

[justmedr]

I have an extra set of Chicken egg Rails that I got from a turner I use for quails and use those. Works great.

 

[kingsfarm]

Cricket...thanks for answering a very wary 1st time chicken owner.....will not worry about the thermometer in the incubator (so large) taking so much space...registering 60 humidity, read earlier on that Lockdown can be from 50 to 70 ...LG incubator has been consistant registers in lockdown 100 temp 60 humidity and standing... will leave it alone

 

[kingsfarm]

Day 20 and guess what .. its happening..three eggs have little holes in them...Yea...am getting ready .. at least I know they are going to hatch or at least CAN hatch....Have no complaints about the LG incubator, it always has been consistant (consistantly wrong or consistantly right) Ha. am so relieved .. its ok .. what ever happens is supposed to happen...Yea...Yea.. 100 - 60 this am. - 55% now...I understand 50-70 ok...added water with aquarium tube to the max...didn't change humidity just kept it steady till this afternoon.

 

[PeasChisGuis]

I have hatched chicks on their sides and hate to see the other eggs get all knocked around knowing that in nature they would be snug and warm under their mother. I put my eggs in lockdown on an egg tray. It holds up to 30 eggs. We will see how that works.