Chook Me!

what should we put under our hatching chicken eggs in the incubator?

so their little feet or legs don't go in the holes. and clean-up will be easier. paper towels? or what?

Public Comments

1. It will be better if you don't put anything under them. They will be sooo unsteady when they hatch that they will need something to grab onto so they don't slip around. Paper towels will move around and make them unsteadier. Hatching eggs make a mess. You will have to clean it out AFTER the chicks are ready. Paper towels would be a wet breeding ground for germs that transfer to the chicks and infect them. Also, DON'T "help" a chick out of an egg. It needs the exertion of opening the shell and pushing its way out to snap its ligaments into place. Otherwise, if you "help" it out of its shell, it won't be able to walk or lift its head or much of anything else and will die crippled because you literally "killed it with kindness".
2. If you have a commercial incubator with the metal wire on the bottom. This was designed to give grip for the birds feet. If you use something with a smooth surface they will develop leg problems such as spraddle leg.