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Still air bators should be kept in the 100-102 range, so you're perfect if it doesn't go over and that is the egg top temp. Air at the bottom of the bator is a tad bit cooler which allows the egg to be at the optimal 99.5. Hen body temps are 101-103. If temp is on the warmer side and prolonged, expect an earlier hatch. A water wiggler at egg level will give you a good read on what the actual egg temp is.
My old bator manual suggested taking the lid off once a day during the first 18 days for no more than 15 minutes. Apparently this mimics the hen stepping out for food, sustenance, a cigarette.
So don't panic if the incubator cools occasionally, provided it's not real prolonged.
A new incubator? I am SO jealous! I was contemplating a new incubator if my trusty "rat bator"*** failed...but it's still working great after 12 years of non-use, so cannot justify the expense. But the thought of just "set and forget" is very enticing. I could lust after a new
Brinsea 20 given the right circumstances....
*** called the "rat bator" because when I fetched it from storage under Mom's house, it was filthy with rodent gnaw marks in the styrofoam. Gave it a thorough cleaning and disinfecting, found some new windows as the old ones had yellowed considerably, and rehabbed it with a new wafer. It was purchased over 15 years ago, used for several years and then in storage. It had a thermometer labeled "Miller" and no model number anywhere, but very similar to Little Giant incubators...except it works really well and has done yeoman's duty with goose and duck eggs. It has an egg turner (used for just one batch of chicken eggs), but I could only find four trays and so now only 28 eggs at a time for hands-off incubating.
Guess we'll know at candling how the boxes are working!
