Finally got my new Hovabator1602 setup (no fan) and have a stable temp of 100, and humidity up to 65%. Middle channel only got humidity to 38-45%. So I put about 2 more cups in another channel (lukewarm). I went and got my eggs out of crawlspace and put in laundry room to acclimate to room temperature. for an hour or so. I have Dave Holderreads newsst edition of his Duck Book ,and he mentions storing in a bag that he ties and puts in a box in a cool area while collecting eggs to set. He also says he turns them if they are over a week old or so , once a day. I have been turning my older eggs for a couple days. I had dated them, and at first stored large end up in a carton in the bag, in a box. I did wash these eggs gently with water & Palmolive slightly warmer than they were. (He said he washes with 3 degree warmer water). My eggs are 1-2 weeks old, from my Show Quality Breeders from Holderreads, 2009 hatch.They are Penciled and gray runners, and my Mini Overberg (the mad mouse killer!lol and she is a good broody, hatched 2 runners last year...but I lost them to chill (water in pen). My mini-Silver Appleyard seemed to stop laying right when I started to collect eggs..... barnie I also have new babies coming from Holderreads in the next couple weeks now I have to figure how to mark them ep, cause I want to show some. This is so exciting!!!!!!My mini-overberg seems to be getting a clutch ready to set too, she had 4 of her own and two runner eggs under her, but I wasn't sure she was setting, so I put two fresh eggs under her and took two and 2 of her eggs to incubate. So she has 4, I figure she can only set about 6 because she is small.Last year she started with 5 and ended up with 2 (runner eggs) she'd move them out of nest and I'd chuck them bad eggs.
Sounds like you are all set. Washed eggs need to incubate at higher humidity, so you are fine with what you have. I would not mist washed eggs during incubation, but I would cool them off since you are using a still incubator. Don't forget to set a timer when you cool off. It is easy to loose track of time or to forget to close them back up. Try to turn them as much as possible during the first week of incubation. Good luck with your hatch.
