looking for good advice on incubating eggs

[ccshambhala]

Help!
I will be receiving eggs today my mom bought for my kids and I on ebay (surprise!! she told me today - and they arrived today) I do not have a hen sitting regularly enough and not much money to spend.... but we saw an incubator at tractor supply (no fan no turner) for $40 and the kids are dying to try! So now we have to make a run to the store (45 min away)after swim lessons. I hate to be the newbie buyin and settin up the incubator after the eggs are here - but that is apparently exactly who I will be!

Any words of advice to improve my odds? I know the kids are looking for a good hatch rate - and I want to do our best! Should the eggs "settle" a day on the counter after shipping? in the refrigerator? or straight to the newly set up bator??
excited and intimidated....
(oh and they are a mixed batch of "tophat eggs" White Crested Blue and Black Polish [bantam] approximately 50 % frizzled originally from Marsha Peterson's show line, Buff Laced Standard Polish, Silver and Gold Laced Standard Polish [penned together and will give those 2 colors], Mottled Houdan standard, Spitzhauben standard, White Polish bantam - I am mostly interested in the houdans and spitzhaubens)
thanx

 

[Ridgerunner]

First, let them settle a day at room temperature. Store them pointy side down. Incubate them pointy side down. Storing the eggs for a few days is not the end of the world, but after a day's rest, try not to take too long.

Turn them at least three times a day during storage and during incubation until lockdown. One easy way to do that is to leave them in the egg carton and put a block under one end to elevate it. Just move the block to the other end of the carton to turn them. Or you can put an x on one side and an 0 on the other and move them. Whatever works for you. You are trying to get about 180 degree movement when turning them, 90 degrees one way and 90 degrees the other, which gives you 180 degrees. If you are a bit off, don't sweat it much. Just do the best you can.

Set the incubator up and run it for a while to see how stable it is. I don't know what options you have to adjust the temperature with that model, but read the instructions that come with it.

Set the incubator up in a room that has pretty stable temperature. Do not put it where the sun shines on it or in a draft, like from a vent. Those incubators don't always adapt to changes very well, but if they are in a stable environment, they can usually hold temperatures pretty well.

Read what the instructions say about humidity and do what it tells you. Don't try to overthink it. We all get different results with different humidities. There is no one correct answer for all of us. Getting that right is a matter of trial and error.

Try to get a thermometer with an accuracy of (+/-) 0.1 degrees, then calibrate it. Some thermometers, like the ones that hang up outside are accurate to within 1 or 2 degrees, which is not very good for an incubator. And about any thermometer can be off due to manufacturing tolerances. The medical ones are usually pretty accurate but they are hard to use.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck!

 

[ccshambhala]

ohhh thank you

reassuring words & tone MUCH appreciated

The incubator at tractor supply is a Little Giant - which most of the feedback strongly recommends at least the egg turner with it (which is another $40). I do not know if a thermometer/hygrometer comes with it (I would hope so!) I do have a dedicated broody turkey available lol....

 

[Komaki]

Ridgerunner just said it all, sep for one thing. WELCOME TO ADICTION! we are going to see alot of you

 

[ccshambhala]

thank you Komaki