Incubated vertical then lockdown horizontal?

[DemeterAD9]

I stuffed my horizontal 24 egg incubator with 38 eggs by sitting them vertically in egg cartons. I’ve done this with shipped eggs before and hatched them vertical but some chicks pipped the pointy end and a couple kinda got trapped between the cartons (all were okay in the end). These eggs are from my own flock so no problems with air cells or anything like that.

They are being turned by tilting the entire incubator every which way several times a day. After 7 blanks and 2 duds I’m now down to 29 with one being questionable. Lockdown is on Sunday and I’m thinking to remove the cartons and let them sit flat while they hatch. The thing is, I don’t know if this could cause problems or not. I know chicks start orienting themselves to hatching position so would changing the eggs’ orientation mess with that? I’d hate to have these chicks come so far and then accidentally kill them.

Part of the reason why I want to hatch horizontally is so I can place them in hatch bags or section them off so I can keep track of who came from which egg. Honestly I’m not entirely sure there is enough room to squeeze them in sitting flat anyways so this could be a pointless question

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’m thinking to remove the cartons and let them sit flat while they hatch.

That's basically what I do. The eggs are pointy side down in my turner but when the turner comes out I lay them flat for hatch.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

That's basically what I do. The eggs are pointy side down in my turner but when the turner comes out I lay them flat for hatch.

same.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

You could also lock down a day early, it won't hurt anything and that way they have more time to get in the proper position.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Okay so it sounds like I was overthinking things. Thank you all, I needed the reassurance!

 

[DemeterAD9]

As an update, no issues with hatching horizontally. Those that pipped all hatched from the right end. Had to help 2 and unless the last egg has issues we are looking at 25/28.