Homemade Incubator and First Timer - Temp/Humidity Questions!

[peepswiththepoof]

I'm so very excited...my homemade incubator, my very first incubator is almost complete! I'm completely new to hatching eggs, and I want to make sure I get it just right before my first hatching attempt! Please, help answer these questions if you can...thanks in advance!

1. My temp is fluctuating perfectly between 99.0 and 100.4. Is that okay or is it too low and too high? Too much of a fluctuation? Ahh, I don't know?!

2. Thanks to the humidity here in NC, my humidity is hanging out between 45-50% without any water being added...is this okay? I know I will need to increase it after Day 18, but I don't know if that is okay for the days prior to that. Does it need to be lower? If so, any suggestions on how to do that?

 

[PeepsNLadybugs]

I've not done this very many times myself so I bought a book. Here's what it says and btw, I usually do what it says (mostly!)
Anywho........... If your incubator is still-air (no fan) then it's okay for the temp to be around 101-102.
If there's a fan circulating the air then 99-99.5 is good.
The humidity should be in the 50-60 area the 1st 18 days then 70-80 the last three days.
Others may say different; some things work better for some and different for others.
But this works out good for me. Good luck on your hatch.

 

[SeaHen]

Hey Peeps! Congratulations on your new 'bator. I just finished mine and have put my first eggs in it tonight. My temperatures were also fluctuating between 99.0 and 100.4, and I ended up pouring all the water I'd added out because I couldn't get the humidity below 65% otherwise! I also put 4 cork-sized holes in the box and had to open ALL of them. It's hovering around 50% now, and hopefully that's okay, because there isn't much else I can do at this point!

Good luck to you!

 

[peepswiththepoof]

Thanks for the tips PeepsNLadybugs!

SeaHen, congrats to you as well! GOOD LUCK with your hatch! I hope to set eggs sometime this week...please, let me know how your hatch goes!