Anyone have a Brinsea Oct 20 Eco & Can I change Incubators on day 6/7?

[jlgoinggreen]

I LOVE my Genesis, but want to throw my LG out the window!!!

I set my LG three days before I put my eggs in and by day 2 the temp was stable all day with no problems. As soon as I put my eggs in the problems started. I HATE it!!!!

So I have been looking at different incubators and saw the Brinsea Octagon 20 Eco is on Sale. I am very new to incubators/hatching so not too familiar with any of the different incubators.

For those that own the Brinsea Oct 20 Eco.....How do you like it? I hate the fact it only holds 24 eggs at a time, but if it's good it might be worth it. Better than putting 30 eggs and getting 0% hatch because your incubator sucks!!!!

Also, I am on day 2 (well I guess 3 since it's after 12am) of my incubation. If I bought the Brinsea online now, it will probably get to me sometime mid week next week. Would it be too late to transfer my eggs to the new incubator (that's if they aren't fried by then)?

 

[klf73]

I just bought one and am still waiting for it to show up. I had asked about it and people were pretty happy other than the fact they said it is small to hatch in. I only wanted it so I didn't have to hand turn anymore...

 

[Chicky Tocks]

I've just bought one and am on day 7. I'm in love already. The true test for me will be if I manage to get any of my serama eggs in it to hatch. I have 14 to hatch.
It will actually hold about 25 regular eggs or so. The temps and humidity are so amazingly stable, it's almost boring! I find myself staring into it like a chick might magically hatch on day 7 or something.

I expect that I will be having a much better hatch rate that I've been having in my homemade bator.

ETA: No it will not be too late to transfer your eggs. Just candle them and pop what wiggles right in once it's stabelized. It doesn't take long for that either!

 

[prncssprplfrog]

This is my first hatch in my ocatgon 20. It holds a rock steady temperature & manual turning is easy as long as you don't fill the reservoirs too full.


That being said: there are a few- very few- things that I would LOVE to redesign or fix on the octagon 20 eco. As far as I can tell, without altering the base in some way myself, there is NO way to add water to the reservoirs while in lockdown without opening the sucker up. The water hole at the top doesn't even fit a standard straw. It would be nice if the whole base filled with water & then just came up into the reservoirs for surface area evaporation.

So: the only problem I've had so far is humidity control- but I love it other than that.

 

[jlgoinggreen]

<nak> has anyone hatched in it or do i need a hatcher? what is your hatch % in it?

 

[poltroon]

Quote:
Do a search and you'll find that people have worked out some clever ways to do it through the vent opening with surgical tubing and the like.

 

[poltroon]

Quote:
You can hatch in it. It does look like it would be crowded with a full load of 24 standard sized chicks, but I haven't been in that situation yet myself. I'm pretty sure that some people do hatch a full load in it.

 

[chels23]

I have one!

I have only used it once (I just set more in it yesterday) and it worked great! I set 24 RIR eggs and 22 hatched! I would say that's a pretty good hatch rate. When they started hatching it did get pretty crowded, so I took the first five or six out. After that I left the ones that had already hatched in there. I found that the movement from the hatched chicks actually helped the chicks that hadn't hatched yet.

I do agree that its impossible to get water through the hole at the top(I finally did get water in the top by using a plastic liquid measuring cup with a spout). As far as how much to leave the humidity hole open I left it about halfway between completly closed and halfway closed (it will never fully close, it's always open a little)

 

[sben451]

I bought my Brinsea Eco 20 with auto-turning cradle last spring. The first hatch in it was 24 out of 24 shipped eggs. I couldn't believe such luck. It is very easy to operate, keeps very steady temps and the humidity is easy to control. I had a couple of good hatches recently and still really like this incubator. I did let the chicks hatch in the Brinsea. It does get a bit crowded, but I usually remove the first several chicks after they have dried--I just work very quickly and get the top back on quickly. This incubator recovers temp. and humidity very quickly. As for adding water, I got some medical tubing (from a nasal oxygen canula), the small tubing that goes over the persons ears, and this will fit through the vent hole (all the way open). I use a large syringe with warm water to add water to the Brinsea. I also use some folded paper towels all across the bottom and dipping into the reserviors to increase humidity on the last three days. It's also very easy to clean. Compared to the one time I used a borrowed styrofoam incubator, I'll take the Brinsea hands down.

I keep the vent open about 1/3 (which is recommended) except when adding the water.
As for changing eggs to the Brinsea, I don't see why you couldn't do it, if you get the Brinsea up to temp. and humidity first and work quickly--shouldn't be a problem.

 

[panner123]

With a LG this is where some people go wrong, once the eggs are put in they expect the temp to hold. It won't, it will drop. Don't touch anything until the next day, the temp should have come up by that time. If not just touch the knob until the light comes on. Waith for a couple of hours and see if the temp comes up. This is why I always tell people to put something in the bator for mass. An empty bator is no good for temp control. Because they are so darn touchy, people tweek it this way and that way until it just spikes like crazy and you can't do anything with it. I have a number of them that I set up and only look at them twice a day, when I get up in the morning and when I go tho bed. I don't open it until day 18 and then when all I have is little fuzzy butts. Clean it and load it up again. Hatch rate on fertile eggs is around 90% every time. If you plan on getting rid of the LG you have, I might just be interested in it.