➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[kurby22]

@kurby22, I agree with @FloorCandy about reading reviews. I'm fine with the Little Giant still incubator. I might have chosen something different if something different was available when I was looking for an incubator, but by and large, it does what it should.

I think the LG thermostat holds pretty well in one spot, but that doesn't cover the whole huge Styrofoam box. Hence, I added the fan. That said, because the incubator is so big and the gauge is so spot-specific, I think little fluctuations end up becoming big ones and one mistake can affect the hatch rate significantly. The poor hatch rates are probably at least partly my fault.

I'd compare it to cooking shows. Food made by a top chef cooked on a standard range will still prevail over food made by an amateur with a Viking stove.

Of course, if the difference in price between the Little Giant and the NR360 is $10, I'd be inclined to go with the NR360 which seems to be a fan favorite on this forum. Even if it isn't better, you'll be able to ramp up faster with all the experts on this site.

That’s the way I’ve been leaning too…seems that the NR360 is the way to go. It’s pricey for a hobbyist, but I am going to want something that works well for my chickens too. My kids are going to try out a poultry project and 4-H this year, so we are going to hatch and show a couple bantam breeds Hopefully I can sell some chicks and quail to make up for the cost that’s what I’ll tell my husband anyway thanks everyone!

 

[kurby22]

@kurby22, I agree with @FloorCandy about reading reviews. I'm fine with the Little Giant still incubator. I might have chosen something different if something different was available when I was looking for an incubator, but by and large, it does what it should.

I think the LG thermostat holds pretty well in one spot, but that doesn't cover the whole huge Styrofoam box. Hence, I added the fan. That said, because the incubator is so big and the gauge is so spot-specific, I think little fluctuations end up becoming big ones and one mistake can affect the hatch rate significantly. The poor hatch rates are probably at least partly my fault.

I'd compare it to cooking shows. Food made by a top chef cooked on a standard range will still prevail over food made by an amateur with a Viking stove.

Of course, if the difference in price between the Little Giant and the NR360 is $10, I'd be inclined to go with the NR360 which seems to be a fan favorite on this forum. Even if it isn't better, you'll be able to ramp up faster with all the experts on this site.

Well, I remembered that I had a coupon from TSC that expired today, so I decided to do it. I got the NR360 for the same price as the LG I was comparing it to...so hopefully it turns out to be a good purchase. I am going to save the smaller less great incubator for backup. It does a good job with the eggs that are kept on the left side...so I could possibly do a small batch or let someone borrow it for their poultry project. Thanks for all the tips and advice!

 

[vall]

Belated photo from the weekend, right before I scooped them up

 

[MadamContrary]

Well, I remembered that I had a coupon from TSC that expired today, so I decided to do it. I got the NR360 for the same price as the LG I was comparing it to...so hopefully it turns out to be a good purchase. I am going to save the smaller less great incubator for backup. It does a good job with the eggs that are kept on the left side...so I could possibly do a small batch or let someone borrow it for their poultry project. Thanks for all the tips and advice!

I love my NR360 so much I bought a second. It's the best at it's price point, especially with a coupon! I did the exact same thing searched and read a million reviews, I bought my first one off Amazon used for $100 because it seemed worth that price. Then I used my seasonal coupon this past spring to get a second from tractor supply. I find it holds temp and humidity very well, and regains both very quickly if you need to open it for any reason. The only complaint I have is that the lid takes some practice to fit back into the notches and the chicks or eggs can go right off the edge of you're not careful. Using shelf liner helps with eggs and making a cardboard ring barrier for the first hatch it not the worst idea! I had to put the whole incubator into a bin to get the dry chicks out the first time I used it They were scrambling everywhere and so many of them! Especially when your loading up to max capacity.

 

[007Sean]

I agree with you definitely, the rolling turners definitely have a higher occurrence of chicks pipping the wrong area. Mostly I’ve started using my nr360 at lockdown only, so I can keep the celadons separate, and since no turning is involved, the only issue is getting the chicks out without some little punk trying to jump out on one side while I’m scooping them out the other haha, it could use a deeper tray imo. But it was my first bator, and it hatched my first 19 chicks from 30 shipped eBay eggs, and I’ve seen a lot of cheap ones that provide 0% on the first hatch. There are few choices in the $150 and below range that I would recommend at all. For a small hobby breeder it’s ok, I used the nr360 for nearly a year until I had more demand for chicks than it could provide at once. I have the largest brinsea now and I love it, and I have my eye on some cabinet incubators, but most people with just a small hobby setup wont want to spend a ton.

That kebonnix one looks like cheap junk from China, I know of one person who loves it, and I guess they got a well put together one, I mean my son has a toy robot from CVS when he was 2, 6 years later it works as well as day 1, and I’ve never even changed the batteries, it’s fallen down stairs, and been dropped 100 times. If I was in the store I would not expect that as a criteria to buy another one, $15 robots don’t generally last 6 years with a boy who breaks everything in a day, just a fluke from a toy I bought him to play with in the waiting room at the doctor. That’s how I feel about the kebonnix.

I agree with ya! For the money it's a decent bator for someone who doesn't hatch many or as often as some of us do!
I think for chicken eggs it's probably a better choice than a Kebonnix or LG....chicken eggs seem to be more forgiving of random mistakes than other bird eggs. The egg roller that comes standard for chickens is not suitable for pheasants or bantam sized eggs. It 'over turns' the egg....with pheasant eggs it rolls the egg around to the beginning of where it started from, a complete 360 turn each time it turns them!
I glued some dividers in mine to fit the egg better but even that is not satisfactory for me.
Probably going to put mine on Craigslist!

 

[kurby22]

I love my NR360 so much I bought a second. It's the best at it's price point, especially with a coupon! I did the exact same thing searched and read a million reviews, I bought my first one off Amazon used for $100 because it seemed worth that price. Then I used my seasonal coupon this past spring to get a second from tractor supply. I find it holds temp and humidity very well, and regains both very quickly if you need to open it for any reason. The only complaint I have is that the lid takes some practice to fit back into the notches and the chicks or eggs can go right off the edge of you're not careful. Using shelf liner helps with eggs and making a cardboard ring barrier for the first hatch it not the worst idea! I had to put the whole incubator into a bin to get the dry chicks out the first time I used it They were scrambling everywhere and so many of them! Especially when your loading up to max capacity.

Oh, this is good to know! I can totally see how it could be chaos when opening to get them out haha. I will keep this in mind I am going to pick it up today! Woohoo!

 

[kurby22]

I agree with ya! For the money it's a decent bator for someone who doesn't hatch many or as often as some of us do!
I think for chicken eggs it's probably a better choice than a Kebonnix or LG....chicken eggs seem to be more forgiving of random mistakes than other bird eggs. The egg roller that comes standard for chickens is not suitable for pheasants or bantam sized eggs. It 'over turns' the egg....with pheasant eggs it rolls the egg around to the beginning of where it started from, a complete 360 turn each time it turns them!
I glued some dividers in mine to fit the egg better but even that is not satisfactory for me.
Probably going to put mine on Craigslist!

Wish you were in my area, I could buy it from you Thanks for the feedback, this helps a lot! For now, the husband is not interested in spending more than this on my "hobby". So I hope it works better, it makes me so sad to see them develop till the last day and then not hatch. I am sure that it's humidity related, as I have to open it EVERY time the humidity needs adjusting...it just doesn't keep it remotely consistent and I am guessing some shrink wrap and others are drowning and it makes me super depressed.

 

[FloorCandy]

I love my NR360 so much I bought a second. It's the best at it's price point, especially with a coupon! I did the exact same thing searched and read a million reviews, I bought my first one off Amazon used for $100 because it seemed worth that price. Then I used my seasonal coupon this past spring to get a second from tractor supply. I find it holds temp and humidity very well, and regains both very quickly if you need to open it for any reason. The only complaint I have is that the lid takes some practice to fit back into the notches and the chicks or eggs can go right off the edge of you're not careful. Using shelf liner helps with eggs and making a cardboard ring barrier for the first hatch it not the worst idea! I had to put the whole incubator into a bin to get the dry chicks out the first time I used it They were scrambling everywhere and so many of them! Especially when your loading up to max capacity.

My husband often helps me get them out and blocking jumpers, but he lost one once, and it went running off the table, bounced off a dog face, and landed in a bin of coats and clothes headed for church haha. He was totally fine, but it’s ridiculous when there’s a lot in there and they all run around randomly.

 

[MadamContrary]

My husband often helps me get them out and blocking jumpers, but he lost one once, and it went running off the table, bounced off a dog face, and landed in a bin of coats and clothes headed for church haha. He was totally fine, but it’s ridiculous when there’s a lot in there and they all run around randomly.

My latest method is to snatch as they dry between rounds of pips each day It seems I always get a round a day early, most on hatch day, then a few stragglers on day three (probably all the disoriented birds that the others kicked around).

 

[FloorCandy]

My latest method is to snatch as they dry between rounds of pips each day It seems I always get a round a day early, most on hatch day, then a few stragglers on day three (probably all the disoriented birds that the others kicked around).

I do the same, or I’ll see a couple snoozing up front next to the side and I’ll snatch em real quick.