Incubator question - Penedesenca eggs should be here soon!

[Picco]

I have penedesenca eggs that are on their way. I have hatched several batches of chicks in my incubator but its been a while so please refresh my memory. I have a still air little giant styrafoam incubator. I have three thermometers and two hydrometers in it - all at egg-height. What should the readings be? Right now I'm getting 102F (from top of egg height) and the hydrometers are reading 57% and 63%. Please tell me how I'm doing. I really want to have a good hatch. Candling these eggs is pretty much out of the question, right?

 

[kstaven]

101 degrees at egg height is ideal.

45 - 50 % is where I get best hatches.

 

[Picco]

I bought a new thermometer today and I think its accurate. It made by flukers (a reptile supply company). Petsmart sold it for $21. It has digital readings for humidity and temperature. Do you think 60% humidity is ok or should I take some water out?

 

[kstaven]

60 is a little high for the first 18 days. Only fill one of the water channels in your incubator. If that is all you have filled remove one of the plugs and that should drop the humidity over the next 24 hours.

 

[hencackle]

Picco, I'm glad you are finally getting those eggs! Since you won't be able to candle extra-dark eggs, maybe you could use a light egg from your flock to use as a guide to monitor the air cell. It's humid where I live, so I don't put the red plugs in my incubator until the 18th day...I use a LG still air and manually turn the eggs. I don't add water early on either otherwise the egg doesn't loose enough moisture.
Have you read Bill Worrell's article on dry incubation? https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html
Stephanie