May I join as well?
I put in 21 Eggs at Midnight on 8-12, this will be my first try at hatching and I have a Hovabator 1583 with a LG turner and 3 thermometers that all read something slightly different (figures, huh).
Humidity is around 30% right now and I am planning a dry incubation and adding water at lockdown, I had water in while setting up the bator and the humidity was 50-60% so thought it would be better to go dry and add at the end, any thoughts on that from others?
I have mostly Sussex (full size) that were shipped and they didn't look very good when they arrived so fingers are crossed that some hatch (first batch of 2 groups (over 2 dozen eggs) and only 2 developed - first batch was put under broody hen and 2nd in incubator but at an experienced persons house, but seller did replace eggs for shipping only - one of the 2 that hatched was marked the wrong color though so not sure what was going on there - I think young children were helping?).
Colors are Silver, Buff, Coronation and Light and there were 2 not marked with a color just Sussex, so mystery ones and then there were 2 small eggs in there one I think is a Serama and the other I don't know, it is marked buff but is half the size of the other Buff Sussex eggs so hopefully it is a small buff something so the Serama (if hatches) has a friend to grow up with!
I haven't candeled any yet but the Serama egg (the only white one) is looking darker than it did when I first put them in so I think at least it is developing. I thought it was better not to candle them a lot but it sounds like others are doing it regularly, does it matter that much or does it depend on the situation, like using your own eggs versus shipped eggs?