Egg tray at hatch or not?

[happyhens1972]

I have 15 CCL eggs in my R Com 20 Max, on an R Com plastic standard egg tray.
This does a fantastic job of keeping them under control when the incy automatically turns them each hour.....much better than the divider bars that came with the machine.

This is, however, my first time using the tray and I was wondering if it might be useful to leave them in this tray at hatching time? I was thinking that maybe it might prevent some of the 'pinball' effect you get when hatching or hatched chicks knock the other eggs around all over the place but was also concerned that chicks would splay more easily as it would be trickier for them to stand up. I could maybe add a layer of kitchen towel or something between the tray and the eggs, before lockdown, but am also then concerned that this would take too much time and temp/humidity would be compromised for too long.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

No- do not use the egg tray during the hatch. Take it out three days prior to your due date. The chicks need time to position themselves and the pinball effect you described is just the birds trying to find their way out of the shell. There are multiple hatching defects that come with keeping the egg tray in, so I strongly recommend removing it. Anyone else?

 

[junebuggena]

No- do not use the egg tray during the hatch. Take it out three days prior to your due date. The chicks need time to position themselves and the pinball effect you described is just the birds trying to find their way out of the shell. There are multiple hatching defects that come with keeping the egg tray in, so I strongly recommend removing it. Anyone else?

x2 It can also be a hazard for any hatched chicks. They can get a foot caught or worse.

 

[happyhens1972]

Thank you so much for your comments, much appreciated. Regarding the 'pinball effect', I was more referring to when a chick that is hatching or already hatched, rolls around and bashes other eggs, causing them to pinball, rather than the rolling which occurs when a chick is emerging from its own egg but none-the-less, thank you for your insight. Can I ask why it is so different to those that hatch with their eggs upright in a cut-down eggbox? Surely that equally prevents movement of the egg in the same way and yet many people do it. I can, however, see the possibility of a foot getting caught or worse, whereas I had only considered it from the point of them splaying on the smooth surface of the tray.....better to be safe than sorry, eh?

 

[junebuggena]

Thank you so much for your comments, much appreciated. Regarding the 'pinball effect', I was more referring to when a chick that is hatching or already hatched, rolls around and bashes other eggs, causing them to pinball, rather than the rolling which occurs when a chick is emerging from its own egg but none-the-less, thank you for your insight. Can I ask why it is so different to those that hatch with their eggs upright in a cut-down eggbox? Surely that equally prevents movement of the egg in the same way and yet many people do it. I can, however, see the possibility of a foot getting caught or worse, whereas I had only considered it from the point of them splaying on the smooth surface of the tray.....better to be safe than sorry, eh?

Hatching upright in cartons typically yields better results for shipped eggs with displaced air cells.

 

[happyhens1972]

I understand that but why does it not cause the same hatching deformities you referred to?

 

[junebuggena]

I understand that but why does it not cause the same hatching deformities you referred to?

Incubating in the upright position does not cause deformities, so long as the eggs are turned properly.

 

[happyhens1972]

But laying them on their sides, in the more natural position, but preventing excessive roll does? I'm confused????

 

[junebuggena]

But laying them on their sides, in the more natural position, but preventing excessive roll does? I'm confused????

Keeping the eggs in the turning tray past day 18, whether it's upright or on the side, makes it more difficult for the chicks to get into the proper position for hatching if they are still being turned. They need to be still in order to get themselves orientated properly. Once chicks start hatching, the orientation has already happened, so getting rolled by an already hatched chick doesn't do any harm.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Me too, I didn't know that it mattered so much, my friend and I always have our eggs on the side at lock down.

But laying them on their sides, in the more natural position, but preventing excessive roll does? I'm confused????