Best bator for the money.....

[shesaredroan]

I bought my 2nd Genesis 1588 this last February. Both of my hova-bators came from GQF Manufacturing Co in Georgia. $189 included the turner and shipping. They even send you free bob white quail eggs a week after they ship you the bator, that way you've got time to get your bator up and running.

This last month I learned I can stack eggs on top of the eggs in the turner. I put the stacked eggs on their side. Got caught in a pinch and figured it was worth a try.....marked the eggs that were stacked so I'd know if it worked. YEP, sure enough, they hatched just fine.

I've never worried about humidity, I just keep the appropriate troughs (read directions) full of water, the temp is automatically regulated, the eggs are automatically turned.....so I think of my bators as 'plug & play'.

The turner can hold 41 or 42 eggs, plus any you stack on top. I LOVE my Genesis 1588!!!!

 

[sgtmom52]

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I'm guilty of stacking too ~ had 50 in the first hatch and 60 in the 2nd

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

how do you turn the eggs on the bottom with out taking the all the eggs on top off and out of the incubator?

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
I stacked the extras on top of the 42 eggs in the auto turner. If you don't use an auto turner you can get more laying on the bottom ~ but you have to turn all by hand then.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

oh boy....you guys are going to get me in A LOT of trouble lol

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Hi,
Plastic welder sounds interesting. What is the brand name?
Thanks

 

[shesaredroan]

Quote:
Easy Pezzie,
The eggs 'on the bottom' are in the turner, pointed end down.....which slowly rocks the eggs 24/7.........the stacked eggs are placed (on their side) on top of the eggs that are sitting in the turner. They all are gently rocked/turned.

I've never done a large hatch before, usually no more than 24 eggs at a time. But this last hatch, I was hatching chicks for the feed store, so they'd have Easter chicks for customers.

This was the first time I needed to remove the red plugs to reduce the humidity in the bator during hatching. Condensation (water droplets) collected on the inside of the window. Humidity goes up in the bator as the chicks start hatching.......more eggs hatching, more humidity.

At lockdown I gently move the eggs to egg cartons, remove the turner from the 'bator, then gently place the eggs back into the 'bator on the wire floor, on their sides. (Some people hatch in egg cartons.)
I started using a piece of shelving liner (soft plastic with holes, cut to cover bator floor) on the wire bator floor. It makes clean up a LOT easier cause it catches all the shell bits, et al. After hatch is over and chicks are the in brooder, I take it outside shake the shell bits off, wash it down with the garden hose and then put it in the washing machine with cold/warm water.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

ok but 3 things:
1. the eggs on their side may get rocked, but there wont be very much movement.
2. what if you dont want to use a turner?
3. the eggs hatch on top of each other?

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Quote:
I stacked the extras on top of the 42 eggs in the auto turner. If you don't use an auto turner you can get more laying on the bottom ~ but you have to turn all by hand then.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g46/sgtmom52/Chickens/P1120985.jpg

I do this to!

but I've got $220 save for a Dickey! And my DH is gonna match me when I get half saved and he's gonna pay the rest! I'm so excited!

 

[kathyinmo]

HovaBator Genesis is my favorite. I hate the Brinsea Eco.