Tips for incubating chickens in a far-from-modern incubator?

[Budgie Dad]

Hello everyone, I was recently given some chicken eggs to hatch for my neighbor, as she is going on vacation. I have a some questions:

1. The incubator is not at all modern, it's basically a Styrofoam tub with a heater that adjusts using a little rod. The issue is that I am struggling with adjusting it correctly, and sometimes the temperature randomly fluctuates. Any tips?

2. Should I be candling them? I have candled some eggs in the past when hatching them, which I found very helpful, but are there things against candling that I should take into account?

3. Is there a way I can improve my setup besides buying a new incubator?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello everyone, I was recently given some chicken eggs to hatch for my neighbor, as she is going on vacation. I have a some questions:

1. The incubator is not at all modern, it's basically a Styrofoam tub with a heater that adjusts using a little rod. The issue is that I am struggling with adjusting it correctly, and sometimes the temperature randomly fluctuates. Any tips?

2. Should I be candling them? I have candled some eggs in the past when hatching them, which I found very helpful, but are there things against candling that I should take into account?

3. Is there a way I can improve my setup besides buying a new incubator?

By randomly fluctuating, how far off does it go?

99.5F is the preferred temp for most eggs, and the safe range is usually a degree one way or the other. Beyond that, a higher mortality and/or disability rate can start occurring.

Humidity should be around 40-50% until lockdown, and then 70%.

Some candle at 7 days, 14 days, then right before lockdown.

I candle twice; once at 7 days and toss any clear ones, then again right before lockdown to see if any died along the way before I put them in lockdown.