It is so stressful until you get everything figured out on a new incubator. The temps won't matter too much if they are not exactly 99.5. In fact, my thermometer (very accurate digital probe) doesn't measure half degrees, so I always run it at 100 degrees. If it occasionally spikes as high as 102, that seems to be okay too--likewise, if it runs down to 98. In fact, if you have a super accurate thermometer and a circulated air incubator, it is quite normal for the temps to fluctuate from 98 to 102--the average is what matters.
As for the humidity, my advice is to simply not worry about it for your first hatch. Toward the end of the hatch, have a look at your air cells. They should fill about 1/3 of the egg. If they are smaller than that, then next time run lower humidity. If they are larger than that, then next time run higher humidity. That's what humidity is about--regulating the growth of the air cell. And everyone gets different results depending on their incubator and the ambient humidity. I run mine VERY low--in the teens and twenties--right up until lockdown. Then I run it VERY high. I have excellent success with this method--80-90+% hatches in general. Others run higher humidities and have better success that way.
So, for the first time, just don't worry or fuss over it--you're not going to get it perfect anyway, and even if you do, it might not be perfect *for your situation*. And you won't know what perfect is for your situation until you've run a batch.
The nice thing is, you will usually get at least some to hatch even if your humidity is way off. But when you adjust it, you'll start getting higher percentages.
Good luck. The first time is always nerve wracking. I just bought a separate incubator to run my hatches in, and the first time I used it I was a nervous wreck. It gets better!
I am getting a really good reading out of the new mercury thermometer/hygrometer. I am going to try this out today and if things look good by tonight I am putin these eggs in!! I guess this is all a learning experience, but I really would like to have a set it and forget it bator in the future because this is all very stressful to me!! I am praying that they hatch
