I found my hovabator runs with too high a humidity (apx. 70 %) only using the center reservoir. It is also difficult to see if it has any water in it...especially with the auto cradle and I had to open the incubator to add water. So I worked out the following set up: I'm sure I'm not the first to figure this out. I manipulate the humidity by the size of the dish and by partially blocking one vent hole with the other one open. I set the dish under one hole, so I can fill it with a straw and surround it with eggs so it doesn't move. I place the temp/ humidity gauge where I can see it through the window and have a backup for redundancy. I threw out the thermometer that came with the incubator...it was off by a mile. The dish needs to be cleaned about once a week because a film develops and the humidity drops. The gauge readings are with the top off. It would normally read 99 deg and about 40% humidity. I only have to open the incubator a few times in 3 weeks. Candle and lock down at 18 days. This batch didn't too well...it was a shipped batch and I was working out the system. Last batch of about 12 eggs....only 5 fertile eggs (my rooster died)...4 hatched and one developed fully and never pipped. Still fine tuning it.
You can do dry hatch and not require any water for the 1st 18 days. I use an aquarium tube and squirt bottle so no need to open the incubator.
