I started hatching in egg cartons after my first hatch, and was amazed at how much better it was. Cleaner, faster, and fewer ducklings dying in the shell right at the end. It takes them longer to get out of the shell once it's zipped open, but on the other hand, it lets them build the strength in their legs so that when they do finally get out, they don't go rocketing all over the incubator running into everything--they have a lot more control right from the start. So all in all, I love carton hatches. On the other hand, I have Runners, not scovies, so it's possible it's different for them.
I do use cardboard cartons, and had never thought about the humidity thing, but I think I'm going to try styrofoam this next time and see if I have an easier time with humidity. Thanks for the tip!
I do get it that they might have a better hatch rate sitting on their sides the whole time, because that's how they'd be in the nest with their mama. On the other hand, their mama wouldn't ever forget to turn them regularly, and wouldn't ever have emergencies that take her away from the nest for a whole day, and so on--so I rely on my turner to do what I don't have all day to do. And, as I said, I've had *better* luck with hatching them out in a carton rather than on their sides, mostly because in a carton the late hatchers don't get knocked around and roughed up by the early hatchers, which is invariably what happens if they're all just loose in the bator. Of course, that wouldn't happen under a mama hen and that's the point--they're not under a mama hen, so we have to do some things a little differently.
That's not to say that I'm by any means completely right about this. That's just been my experience, and I love love love hatching in cartons over hatching on their sides. I am in the middle of my first staggered hatch right now, and I am hopeful that hatching in cartons will also mean the later eggs won't get quite as soiled by the early hatch.
Good luck, anyway. I can't wait to hear how it goes for you.
