Nervous newbie with a few questions

[parisfam]

I think I might have a nervous breakdown. I have read a lot and so many sites have different data. I have 24 eggs of different varieties (all chicken) that I am ready to put into a still air Little Giant 9200 incubator with an automatic egg turner. I have read that I should keep the temp about 101 degrees, but the humidity I have seen anywhere from 40% to 60% for the first 18 days and 65%-80% for the last 3 days. It seems to vary so much. I'm working on getting the temp constant, but the humidity I'm not sure what to do with. I'm worried about the reliability of the thermometer and how to know the best place for it to sit. I have a thermometer/hygrometer and it is a little big for the bator. The egg turner doesn't allow a lot of room. Also, how do you go about candling? Do you take all the eggs out and do it individually while keeping the incubator closed and then put them all back in. I'm worried about them cooling during this time and wondered what the best way to go about it is. I really want a good percentage of these eggs to hatch!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Check out these websites for good info. They don't answer all your questions but they have a wealth of info. It is a good refresher before you start.

http://gallus.tamu.edu/Extension publications/b6092.pdf

http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=62

As for the thermometer, I recommend going to Walmart, Lowe's, wherever, and looking at the cheapie thermometers. Look at the temperatures they are showing. Choose one that shows the average of all of them. Don't get one that is way off the others. Put this one with your other thermometer and you'll have a pretty good idea whether you can trust it. This only shows that the cheapie probably reads true at around 70 degrees, but it raises my confidence at other temperatures.

Good luck!