Best incubator for the $$$ ?

[Ewe Mama2]

I really like my Hovabator Genesis 1588. I don't have the automatic turner, but I have had great results from shipped eggs.

13 out of 13 Barnevelders

10 out of 11 Khaki Campbells

10 out of 10 Silver Appleyards

 

[walkswithdog]

The problem with the smaller bators is... they're smaller. You fork out 100-200-300-400 dollars and you get the capacity for 20 or 40 eggs.

Save another 100-200 dollars and you jump into the good cabinet bator price range and the numbers you can hatch if you want to skyrocket.

Dickey or that one the BYC guy makes for 250, or a Sportsman.

Spend 300 or 400 for a table top, itty bitty and you might just be spending it again because you want to hatch MORE and banging your head

because then you've spent 600-800

for less than a 1/3 the capacity of a dickey/sportsman or good homemade bator.

And YOU CAN run small hatches in a well made larger incubator.

You cannot run larger hatches in a well made table top.

 

[Junkmanme]

I TOTALLY AGREE with "walkswithdog" on the usefulness of the cabinet incubators vs table-top type.

Actually cheaper and easier in the "long-run"!

-Junkmanme-

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Yeah, I am definitely leaning toward a cabinet type...I really like the looks of the Dickey...

 

[Big Chicken Little]

You can make a great bator out of a wine chiller cabinet. Even buying it new and doing the conversion you will not send more than $300. They have glass doors, well insulated and are nice looking. I am working on one now but it has been slow as my time has been limited.

 

[rick54]

Walkswithdog, made an excellent point in regards to the smaller table top incubators. I did visit the Dickey website, and their cabinet units seem like a good investment.

My interest is in the use for chicken and duck eggs. I'd be interested in a complete unit that incubates and hatches all in one unit. I was looking at the product page and there is a complete 2X2 unit for $631. Then there is the additional accessories of a dual wafer thermostat (?), a TRH 158 hygrometer, 6 inch tray spacing, humidity systems, etc. So now I'm pretty much lost in confusion of all the technical accessories.

Perhaps someone who has this Dickey unit might be able to enlighten me on this unit as well as all the accessories. I was hoping a YouTube search would have given me a tutorial from start to finish on this product, but no such luck.