First Incubation starts Tomorrow lol

I am incubating my first batch of eggs tomorrow, I was going to wait until spring but my cousin has a farm and has offered me some free fertile eggs to try my hand at incubating before I start with French Black Copper Maran eggs in the spring. I have a heated shed and I have built a 8ft x 8ft brooder with thermostatically ran heat and 2 heat lights, so I am ready for the cold

She has a mix of barred rocks, RIR, and red sex links so I will get a farmyard variety

I am using a borrowed Janoel JN8-48 "automatic incubator" that has an electronic thermostat ( already checked with a real thermometer) a digital humidity display ( also checked with an actual hygrometer) and a days and hours counter ( for the automatic egg turner )

It seems like a pretty sophisticated setup, we just put the water in the two designated trays in the bottom, set the temp, and walk away and it maintains 99.5 degrees and 60% humidity, at 18 days I will take the egg turner out and put the eggs back on the bottom on cheese cloth or paper towel.

I do have one question, do you put the eggs skinny end or fat end first in the automatic egg turner?


Here is a "stock picture" of the incubator I will be using I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH THE SITE STAMPED ON THE PIC SO PLEASE BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU CHOOSE TO BUY FROM THEM. MY UNCLE BOUGHT THIS INCUBATOR ON EBAY, NOT FROM THE SITE LISTED IN THE PIC

 

OH forgot to add, I have had the incubator running for four days, it has used hardly any water yet maintains the 60% humidity +1 to -1 at all times, it also runs 37.5c so 99.5F at all times, it usually doesnt vary from that at all and if it does its a 1/10 of a degree.

I will try to post weekly updates until the last few days where I will post daily updates when I have time, with pics of course

 

From what I have read 60% was just right for chickens, the instructions say 50-70%. What do you guys run your humidity at?

 

Do I lower the humidity by adding less water to the two trays on the bottom?

 

Thanks folks, I pulled the water out of one of the channels and I will see if that keeps things any better