Wow I'm really glad I asked, that's a huge difference from me! I know several people in that area of the states though, sorry about the rough weather recently!
That's really cool your only the second person I've met in 4 years who has the 40, really congrats, that is an amazing machine.
You know when you read forced air (w fan) vs. Still air? We have like a super forced air w 4 fans in our units vs 1 in the Octo 20s or in any styrofoam I've seen. This works against humidity but it's better for maintaining the temp nearly perfectly. The temps stability is super vital during the first three days. I think in your climate I'd stress more over the humidity vs how little I ever do so here. Still wouldn't add any water for the first 13 days only for lockdown unless it became apparent the air cells were growing too quickly as they lost more water than they shouldve. At lockdown I'd still prolly only fill one tray and see where that leaves you because the hatchlings will bump the humidity themselves as they come out covered in egg wet that has to dry especially if your doing a bigger hatch in that monster incubator w a higher likelyhood of more than one hatchling drying off at one time. At the end of my run before my hiatus I had started dry hatching chickens without even adding water at lockdown and I know someone in WV who incubates a lot and has done that w chickens but I wouldnt reccomend it for the quailies. Quail being so small in such a super forced air bator youd have a higher chance of shrinkwrapping the babies. If your only incubating in there without hatching then half of my thoughts wont matter but I'm sure like myself u bought that with the mindset it can and Will do just about everything for you. Set n forget.
If you have the turning cradle also, the way I have my eggs set in the pic u orig quoted wouldnt work. It swings the incubator too far for them to stay in that place. If the turner is clicking or starts clicking fair warning that's what mine did right before it dumped the bator off the turner w 40 duck eggs inside. So now without the turner I simply lay it on each of those two first slants one side then next time the other. Not bad at all for hand turning.
Come April if you need anything please dont hesitate to ask. I hope this has been helpful.
you have the octagon 40 or the 20? Great purchase either way congrats! And it doesnt say where your located, that can have a major impact on incubation. Here in southern LA it's so humid we can nearly drink the air.
that they're in good shape internally after shipping!
