two questions

[MrsBachbach]

90 degrees is not hot enough to hatch eggs. Should be 98 for chickens. I would try putting the eggs in the shoebox with a small container of water and laying the heating pad on top of the box, then check the temperature with a probe stuck through the box. That would be more like an incubator set up.

 

[EZFarms]

hmm okay. i was just trying to not let it spike up to high id end up having fried eggs xD

 

[MrsBachbach]

Well, high spikes are not good but temps as low as 90 will do absolutely nothing to start the growth process. Try to get to 98-99 to get things started the first few days. Don't open the box the first few days. Chickens don't get off the nest for the first few days, so it is important not to have fluctuations and maintain that critical temp the first few days. After, if you have spikes that get to 102, the eggs should still be okay. Even if the temp drops to 97 they should still be okay. That's the range you have to work with. Your going to have to open it to turn the eggs everyday (or tilt the box so they will roll), so brief swings in temperature shouldn't hurt them.

I'm editing to add that by "okay" I don't mean you can keep it at high or low temps, I just mean that the chicks shouldn't be harmed by brief fluctuations in temperature. If you find your temps to high or low, adjust them.

 

[EZFarms]

ive adjusted it so it stays in the high 90s now