Getting an incubator (hatch-a-long here I come) anyone have experience with these different brands?

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FuzzyHens

FuzzyHens

Chirping
5 Years
Nov 13, 2014
420
24
88
Frozen Massachusetts
I'm seriously considering doing the NYD Hatch-A-Long, so I'm working on pulling supplies together. I will need to purchase an incubator. I want a small one that mostly functions automatically. I'm a total newbie, so I want one that takes a lot of the guess work out of it.

So far, I'm considering:

Brinsea Mini Advance Hatching Egg Incubator

Magicfly Digital Mini Fully Automatic Egg Incubator 12 Eggs Poultry Hatch

Are there others I should be considering?

Pros/Cons associated with these two incubators?

Any help is greatly appreciated!!
 
I bought a Brinsea Eco 20 two years ago and I love it. The Mini's I haven't used myself, but I've heard good things about them and from my own experience with the brand, I'd highly recommend them, especially to newbies.
 
Thanks for the feedback!! They tend to be more expensive, but if it saves me headache and heartache, it would be worth it! I appreciate your info. I need to make a decision soon.
 
They cost a bit, but heck they are worth it. I bought one with an automatic turner, so I can "set and forget" and just top up the water now and then. I bought a hygrometer as it didn't come with one, but apart from that I've no complaints. I had 90% hatches in it so far and a 100% with my first duck egg hatch. I forgot we have reviews on different incubators here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/egg-incubators

I just scrolled down and saw a good couple of reviews on the Brinsea Mini, that will give you a good idea of what people think and how they rate it.
 
X2 on the Brinsea. I would highly recommend them, love mine. I have the octagon advance EX with humidity pump. Totally stress free and set and leave incubator. The advance also has the cool down option which replicates the hen leaving the nest to eat,drink and poop etc.
They are pricey but are worth it 100%.

Good luck with your choice and your future incubating :frow
 
@Yorkshire coop I'm curious about the humidity pump and thinking of buying a model with one next time. How did you like it?
 
sumi said:
@Yorkshire coop
 I'm curious about the humidity pump and thinking of buying a model with one next time. How did you like it?
Click to expand...


Love it!! Really takes all the stress out of humidity control. You set the desired humidity level on the incubator and when it drops 1% below that the pump kicks in and starts to pump the water through the tube and into the evaporation pad that sits in the lid/top of the incubator. Once it's back to correct level the pump stops. The read out usually says it's gone higher than required which bothered me at first but just left it be as humidity is an average over incubation and it's fine. It just steadily drops which creates the average.
My only point with it is getting the knack of setting up. You need to prime the water through the tubing before wrapping it round the pump mechanism that actually spins. Wouldn't be without it and it's great at lockdown 65% is easily achieved. :thumbsup

400
 
That sounds wonderful! I had to put a cloth in the wells to maintain 65%, which was my only complaint about it really.
 
This is super information!! Thank you both! I am definitely leaning towards the Brinsea. A lot of the reviews I read talk about putting a cloth or sponge in to help the humidity, especially during lock down. I'm not quite sure I understand what people are doing, but I don't have a unit in front of me. Will it be clear once I'm looking at the unit? Does it discuss this in the user manual? Or are there photos out there that I can reference?
 
I took some pics for you quick of mine. These are the wells, below the eggs:



When I lockdown I place a clean, unused cloth under the egg tray, dipping it into the wells:



And the egg tray goes on top:



The vent hole is just big enough to fit a drinking straw through, so you can top up the water in there via the vent hole during lockdown.
 

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