What would you do, they hatched and knocking other eggs all over!!

[Coldweatherbirds]

I'd read about people hatching in cartons, but I thought it was to contain the mess. It makes sense that under a hen they wouldn't get kicked around so much. I think when it comes time I'll try cartons or cradles or something like that to keep the eggs stable.

 

[honeydoll]

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That is a very good idea. I think I'll try it the next time I hatch some eggs. thanks for the advice.

 

[texaschickmom]

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This sounds like a great idea! Do you have a picture or can you describe how you did it? Thanks

 

[homesteady]

Question about hatching in cartons-- Will the cardboard affect the humidity level by sopping up moisture? Or do they absorb their fill early on and help keep the humidity higher?

 

[homesteady]

Oh... just saw the other thread about this very question.

 

[honeydoll]

Ok, I did it. I opened my incubator and took one of the dry hatched chicks out while one was zipping. This is what happpened, not sure if it was coincidence or not. I was fast, so there was no porlonged time it was open. But after I took it out the incubator took about 30 minutes to get back to optimum humidity and temp. It actually never got back up to optimum humidity so I had to add fresh water to do this. So it needed opened a second time. In doing this the zipped chick moved less and less, 4 hrs. later still no zipping progress. So I broke one of my rules and helped the little guy out of his shell, because I wanted to see what happened, if he got "shrink-wrapped" from me opening the bator. He sure was, he was stuck and too tired too finish the job, he chirped strongly for about two hours as he moved in the shell and tried to work his way out, but as time went on hisd chirp grew weaker, I really feel he would have been dead if I hadn't intervened and helped him out of his shell. I don't believe he was weak, I think me opening the bator when he was already mostly zipped caused him to get shrink wrapped in the shell and he got weaker from having to work so hard and long. I would have let nature takes its course and not helped him hatch, but I wanted to see if it was natural causes or did my opening the bator cause him his issues. He was fine until I opened the bator. He is alive and chirping and eating in the brooder now. Just thought I'd share my experience with this. I know nothing is 100% but I feel opening the bator did this as he was doing well until I did this.

Carolyn

 

[Katy]

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I've never had any issues with the cartons affecting the humidity....and I use the paper cartons.

 

[Teresaann24]

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that's why I never open the lid only the windows but if I use cartons I don't have to open the bator. The cartons keep the hatched chicks from knocking the unhatched eggs all over the place.

 

[7isheaven]

Okay, all this talk about hatching in cartons or containers and chicks kicking eggs had me wondering. The eggs have spent their whole time laying flat on the wire in the 'bator and we've been hand turning them. I was concerned about using a carton and putting them pointing in down when they've never been in this position before- and might not be aligned for it. I did not want to make the little homemade cradles someone posted about [sorry, not going back to look for the OP

] But I thought, surely there would be party favor baskets that would be just right!! I couldn't find exactly what I was thinking of but I found 2 items-

This will help contain mess and egg rolling, but it probably won't prevent mobile chicks from walking over them will it?

This one would probably prevent chicks from walking over it, but I worry that the hatching chick will get stuck and not be able to push themselves out. How does that work?

So which one would you use?

deborah

 

[honeydoll]

Hmm..Deborah those are both good ideas. The first one would not contain the little chick well but I see the second one they may get stuck in. Maybe you should cut off the folded down edges and then it may be perfect. Just a thought.

Carolyn