Most idiot proof incubator?

[themenagerie]

Can someone recommend an incubator that won't break the bank for a newbie? All this talk of humidity, temp and turning are making me worry that I won't be able to hatch out the little lovelies that I'm ordering.

 

[AnimalLover99]

i have the exact same question.

 

[Texasmja]

I recommend the Brinsea Oct 20, it is pretty easy to use. I am on day 6 of my first ever hatch and so far all is fine. Holds the temp perfect, just add water to one of water wells built into the base of the unit for the first 18 days. Then you fill both wells and do not rotate the unit for hatching.

You rock the unit forward or backward to turn the eggs, no need to open the unit to do that. http://www.brinsea.com/products/octagon20eco.htm

It is still on sale for $129.99 plus shipping $24

 

[themenagerie]

Thank you very much for your recommendation.

 

[Sphinx]

The Brinsea Mini Advance takes it one step further- it even turns the eggs for you. I call it the crockpot of incubators. You stick the eggs in, set the days, temp (99.6), and turning interval. Then add water to one of the wells and sit back and wait. You have to add water every few days. Then, at lockdown, you take the turning disk out, put down felt or that rubber shelf liner, fill up both wells, and then sit on your hands til the chicks come out.

 

[cchardwick]

You asked for the most 'idiot proof', not the least expensive. They are not one and the same.

I just ordered the most advanced compact incubator on the market and it's totally idiot proof. It's the R-Com 20 Pro with USB. It cost me $700 but the resale on high end incubators is fantastic, I could probably use it for ten years and sell it for what I bought it for. It has several preset programs for various types of birds. Just set it to 'Chicken' and hit start. The machine does the rest all the way to hatching. At three days before hatch it increases the humidity, slightly lowers the temp, and stops turning. It also has a program mode so you can use it for a new species of bird and manually set everything to your own custom program. It truely is a piece of scientific lab eqiupment and holds the temp and humidity very precisely. You can also hook it up to a computer and control it that way, or simply monitor the settings. I've tried hatching chickens for years with home made incubators and got tired of all my chicks dying in the shell or coming out deformed leaving me to destroy them (very difficult to do). If you're not sold by the photo you will be after you watch these videos:

 

[mstricer]

I like that

 

[welasharon]

or get a couple of silkies! They love to hatch.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

or get a couple of silkies! They love to hatch.

If ya get silkies make sure its from someone you can trust. They are so hard to tell the sex. Currently I'm struggling with my 4 "pullets" daily I'm praying that 2 of them are in fact girls but scared they may be boys.

 

[Creed Bennett]

I also like the Brinsea Mini Advance. Add water every few days and forget it. At lock-down I take out the disk, put it on a paper towel and trace around it with a pencil, cut it out with scissors and put it under the eggs so the chicks can get traction when they hatch to prevent spraddle leg. I wished Brinsea made a bigger version of the Mini.