HOVABATOR with fan & hatching questions

[Roxannemc]

Just bought a Hovabator thru Ebay. It has the fan . Was wondering if anyone has it and what they think of it.
Especially the heat & humiity in it...any problems?

This will be my first eggs to try to hatch. (bought them thru Ebay too)
another question .How many should i expect to NOT hatch.. average.I will have 9 to start that are coming fertilized(I hope!).

Also I have read a lot on this forum about hatching but is there some place that tells all the details about it?

Like keep your temp at 40-50% and look for this and that.
If i buy eggs like this do i start out counting 21 days from the day i put them in the incubator?
I gather there is a period after they come out of the hen that you dont have to incubate them .. for up to 10 days? I am getting this from a poultry book we had layng around here.

Why do they need to be 50-60 degrees for a few days before you start them in the incubator?

See i have so many questions and worried i will not do one because i havent seen it discussed on here or in a book.OR am I over thinking it
ANY HELP PLEASE!

 

[chicks@feathers]

you want your temp running smoth at 99 to 100 degress 99 prefered

Humitidty for the first 18 days run it around 40 to 45 percent walmart has a great littel temp and hunidity sold by acurite

yes start counting the day you put them in 21 days keep in for 23 before discarding some may just be late

around day 12 candel them and discard any eggs that dont show blood lines or something that looks like something starting this keeps any eggs from rotting and destroying rest of the eggs

on eggs that are shipped to you let then sit in a carton for 24 hours to let them settel before putting them in

shipped eggs are the hardest to hatch for you first time trying try to find someone local that you can pick up some hatching eggs you can always sell the chicks if they are not the breed you want

I collect eggs all the time for 7 days before incubation and they lay in a carton and i turn the carton once in the morning and again at night and the temp in the house runs at 78 deg and i have great hatch rate so the 50 to 60 i wouldnt worry about

if you have any other ? feel free to page me and ill try to cheek every day