OK I have been keeping records on my incubation "five days of data" the temperature averages 99.7 and the humidity averages 23 percent I gather data at 6 AM every morning. I am using a forced air incubator so I feel the temperature is good and I am practicing dry incubation so I feel the humidity is good. I have not opened the incubator since I set the eggs I adjust the water through a vent using a straw and room temperature water. I will candle the eggs on Saturday day 7.
It does not hurt anything to open the incubator for a minute or two for the first 18 day(for chickens). Even the broody hens get off the nest for a little while the first 18 days. When you go into lock down----some say it don't hurt, some say it does. ""I"" am the Later---Now I would break your arm if you tried to open my incubator after I go into lock down for the eggs to hatch (only because when I first started hatching I have had really bad hatch rates and problem hatches when I opened during that time). I tried candling early like that but ended up putting a lot of the eggs back in till next candling because of questionable eggs. Now I candle on day 12 and day 18-----for sure on day 12 I can tell if the eggs are not "right" and remove any that needs to come out. That's your call. Good Luck
