I just had them at room temp, so about 60*... But I can store them at a cooler temp if that will help!
60* F is much better than most of us manage. pretty close to ideal. I think you are doing great there.
Does the humidity level not vary based on stage of incubation?
Why humidity is important in the entire process is that the eggs need to lose a certain amount of moisture for the eggs to hatch properly. This goes from the time they are laid until they hatch. It is not just while they are in the incubator. Eggs lose moisture while they are being stored waiting to go into the incubator. The lower the humidity while stored the more moisture they lose. That's why preventing moisture loss is important during storage.
Don't let this frighten you too much. Nature was kind to us in that a pretty wide range of moisture loss still works. A hen can lay eggs in a nest for a couple of weeks to build up a clutch before she starts incubating them. Those nests are usually in the cool shade and often (though not always) on the ground where they can draw moisture or at least don't dry out that much. Still, it is best practice to minimize moisture loss during storage.
Yes, you vary the humidity during incubation. You want a certain moisture loss to get in that sweet spot (a pretty big sweet spot) where the eggs will hatch. But if the incubator is too dry when the chicks pip the chick can become shrink-wrapped. That's where the membrane that surrounds the chick dries out and shrinks around the chick, keeping it from hatching. So you want the humidity inside pretty high during actual hatch to decrease the chance of that happening.
One of the hard parts in this is that there is no one perfect humidity during the 18 days of incubation for every incubator on the planet. Each of us have a different "best" humidity because of many factors. Some of us do best if that humidity is 30%, some do better at 50%. My suggestion on that is to follow your incubator manufacturer's recommendations on your first hatch and see how you do. I don't know of a better way to get a baseline.
I hate a staggered hatch under a broody hen or in an incubator. They are stressful and you can get some pretty bad results. Most people that do them regularly use two incubators, one to incubate in and one to hatch in when they reach lockdown. That avoids the issues of turning, increasing humidity during hatch, the mess they make when they hatch, and having to open the incubator during hatch which risks shrink-wrapping. If you decide to try a staggered hatch come back with how many days apart you started them and we can help you navigate those traps.
I sympathize with you, you are in a rough spot. I don't know how best for you to proceed.
I only have 1 incubator. How long can I wait before hatch rates start going down?
