dumb newbie questions

[halfwaynowhere]

I'm hoping to set my first eggs tomorrow evening. So far I've got 3 eggs, still waiting for today's egg and will hopefully get one tomorrow before I set the eggs, so I'm hoping for 5. I've got a few questions, though.

Firstly, humidity. I'm finding different numbers, and its confusing. I know the humidity for the first 18 days is different than for the last 3 days, but what numbers am I looking for? I've got a still-air hovabator.

Second question- how exactly should I put the eggs in? I'll be turning them by hand. Do I lay them on their sides, or do I put them in an egg carton, point down? In a carton, how do you turn the eggs?

 

[Kittymomma]

Humidity is confusing because what works in one part of the country (or even your own house) does not work as well elswhere. I don't add any water for the first week and only fill the center well for the next 10 days. That keeps the humidty between 25-32% for the first 18 days and the I fill the side wells to bump it up to around 65%. Don't be alarmed when the humidity spikes as the chicks start to hatch, as long as you're not doing a staggerd hatch you won't drown any chicks.

I've found too many temp. variables in my bator to try incubating in cartons (still air LG) but I do like to hatch in them. I put an x on one side of the egg and a O on the other so I don't get too mixed up and lay them on their sides for incubation. For lockdown I put a piece of rubber shelf liner (the kind with holes) over the wire so the chicks have good footing and put the eggs fat side up in egg cartons that I've cut down a bit so the chicks don't get stuck. I also cut about a quarter size hole out of the bottom of each section to help promote air flow, though I don't think that part really makes much difference. Happy hatching!

 

[halfwaynowhere]

whew, had a scare with my incubator- it didn't work! My BIL used to breed snakes, and he left his incubator here, which is what I'm using now. I plugged it in, and it did nothing! The plug was a funny blue/green color, corrosion or something, so I cut it off and spliced on a new plug, and now it works! I was in a panic for awhile there, trying to figure out an alternative! I meant to get it all set up a few days ago, but my mom had taken it up to camp with her for some reason, and I had to wait for her to bring it back. Glad its working now, and I'm planning on setting the eggs in the evening.

 

[Kittymomma]

I'd let it run for a day or two so you can get the temp. stable before you set the eggs.