Please give me any tips to get a better hatch rate!!

[TinyTotsSeramas]

Okay so I just have a few questions... Also if any of you could be so kind as to give me tips on how to get a better hatch rate then last time (which was also my first time with Chicken eggs an my 2nd hatch ever) PLEASE post!! I could use all the help..
my incubator is a Hovabator model 1602N

Q1. How can I keep the eggs from rolling around on the steal wire flooring in the Incubator?
Q2. What is the easiest way to get the Humidity up? (just filling up the wells didnt work)
Q3. durring Lockdown, I placed a wet papertowl OVER the eggs, is that safe? also I was told placing a wet papertowl under the eggs works also.. is it safe to place one above an below the eggs?

Please post any tips you have PLEASE!!! I am finally getting what I have been wanting for MONTHS when I seen a picture of a fellow BYCer's Silkied Serama rooster an said I HAVE to have them!! *To the BYCer who I cannot remember the name of, if this is your rooster, he is aboslutly BEAUTIFUL!!

I am getting 16 eggs shipped in from Zoomummzy and I dont want this hatch to go wrong!! my last hatch of 15 Smooth and Frizzled babies, I got 8 to hatch.. I know not a bad hatch rate for shipped eggs, but it would have been 100% hatch because out of the 8, 7 were assisted hatch because I lost 2 babied durring pip and the rest were lost from internal pip because I accidently shrink wrapped them when I couldnt get the humidity up... the 1 that hatched naturally, hatched AFTER I placed the papertowl over the eggs..

 

[stoopid]

If I were you, I would break down and buy the turner. I tried for years to properly incubate them and hand turn them. Life has been so much better WITH the turner, and the humidity will also benefit. What kind of thermometer are you using? I recently got one of those newfangled electronic ones, and killed a whole batch of Marans eggs. Too much info to go thru, but depending on the height of the sensor, if you don't have the fan inside (also more money) that placement is critical.

 

[mstricer]

Put the under a broody. My hatch rates are better that way.

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

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Only birds old enough to even go broody here are my MIL's production reds.. I dont have any older birds (oldest being 19-20 weeks old)

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I'll have to save up for that... I cant find any that arent between $40 & $50 that I dont need shipped in

 

[jen5680]

Put them in a egg carton and prop one side up and then when you 'turn' them just prop them the other way.
I do all mine like this and 'turn' them twice a day. Works great for me

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

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I thought of that but I wasnt sure if it was okay.. do I need to do anything specail to the cartons? do you tilt it from the sort end or in the middle on the long side? Im so scared that is wont be enough and im going to lose these eggs! I have been waiting forever for these eggs!!