Best incubator Rcom or Brinsea?

[connieconnie]

Is there anyone close enough to you that you could pay to drop them off at your doorstep? Postal workers can be quite rough with packages and I understand your need for no contact, but if it can travel via post could it also be delivered by an individual you trust and just left on your doorstep - you can disinfect the package before it's brought in. This might be a happy medium. In Canada livestock is an essential service, so you are allowed to go pick up eggs - so in theory someone could do this for you. If I was nearby I would gladly help - where in the UK do you live? My sister is in Wales, but chances are you are far from where she is.

Shipped eggs can be very challenging and disappointing. I hope you have better luck in the future!

I have to ask around, to see if any family friends would do it. You're right, that to get the hatch rates I want, I need to find a way to pick them up.

That is so kind! Thank you You are a very thoughtful person but sadly I'm all they way in Oxfordshire UK!

 

[connieconnie]

Good luck with your future hatches! Brinseas are great and have made incubation sooo much easier for me - of course, things can still go wrong, but I've found them to be a lot more predictable and less worrisome then many of the less expensive incubators.

I think it's going to be a Brinsea and I'll just have to find the extra cash. It sounds like it's more expensive for a reason and they're worth it for the reliability

 

[Offshoreorca]

I have to ask around, to see if any family friends would do it. You're right, that to get the hatch rates I want, I need to find a way to pick them up.

That is so kind! Thank you You are a very thoughtful person but sadly I'm all they way in Oxfordshire UK!

I think it's going to be a Brinsea and I'll just have to find the extra cash. It sounds like it's more expensive for a reason and they're worth it for the reliability

Wish I knew someone closer, but hopefully you can find a friend or relative to help It should improve your hatches greatly. And Brinseas are definitely worth the investment if you plan on hatching often in the future - just make sure to register it for the warranty when you get it! Good luck

 

[connieconnie]

Wish I knew someone closer, but hopefully you can find a friend or relative to help It should improve your hatches greatly. And Brinseas are definitely worth the investment if you plan on hatching often in the future - just make sure to register it for the warranty when you get it! Good luck

Thank you good point! Definitely will register it's warranty

 

[connieconnie]

(If anyone does end up reading this)

I'm deliberating between Maxi II EX Incubator (which does everything, heating, cooling, humidity and turning) but it turns on it side... which I heard wasn't good for shipped eggs (if I can't find the breeds local). Therefore should I go for the more expensive Ovation 28 (which cradles eggs upright)? Is it worth getting the advance or EX instead of the eco?

 

[Manhen]

I was gifted a friend of a friend's incubator, that they used once. It's a janoel24 (approx £100), and I think I now know the reason why they gifted it for nothing. I did one hatch (shipped eggs) and got a 33% hatch rate (4/12). I'm now on my 2nd hatch (shipped eggs again), I'm on day 15 and I'm already down to 30% (8/24). I've been so meticulous in the care of all these eggs. I've lost sleep monitoring the temperature and humidity. I've got multiple extra thermometers and humidity sensors inside to try and monitor it, as I've found the incubator overheats and under-heats regularly. I've even have it set up in my bedroom next to my desk, so I can monitor it during the day and night. I'm managed to maintain it between 37.5 and 37.9 degrees Celsius all the time, humidity between 30 and 45% all the time (60% during hatch), and I am having to manually turn the eggs 5 times a day as the shipped eggs had loose air sacs (so are placed in an egg carton, pointy end down and rotated on their point).

Please please tell me if I'm doing anything wrong, as I really want to get a better hatch rate. Any and all advice will be appreciated! As I'm starting to get depressed over the eggs dying.

I'm thinking that there are hot spots and cold spots within the incubator (even though it's forced air), as I can get really different readings on my thermometers if they're moved around the incubator. And so I'm thinking of ditching this incubator after this hatch and invest £100-£250 on my own, good reliable incubator. I would like it to be able to hatch 12 eggs or more, but if the features I need are not available in my price range for this size, I am willing to go for a smaller size. Cheaper the better.

I've done some research and Rcom and Brinsea seem to be good makes. However they have so many different types (eco, advanced, EX etc.) and I would like to know which one you recommend!

Which do you think is the best value?
What features do you think are worth the money (automatic turning, automatic humidity control etc.)?
Also I'm planning to hopefully hatch some more shipped eggs, so what turning mechanisms are best for this (cradle, side turning plates etc.)?

From my limited research these models peak my interest:

• Brinsea Maxi II Advance Incubator - ~£200 - 14 hens eggs - auto turning - manual humidity - side turning
• Brinsea Maxi II EX Incubator - ~£255 - 14 hens eggs - auto turning - auto humidity - side turning
• Brinsea Ovation 28 Advance Incubator - ~£275 - 28 hens eggs - auto turning - manual humidity - upright,cradle
• Rcom King Suro Max-20 Incubator - ~£220 - 24 hens eggs - auto turning - auto humidity - upright,cradle
• Rcom 20 MAX Digital Incubator - ~£270 - 20 hens eggs - auto turning - auto humidity - side turning

Has any body had any of these incubators?
How have you found them?
Were they good?
What were your hatch rates?
How well did they work with shipped eggs?

Sorry for all the questions! Just really keen on getting a good one (especially since it's an investment), and really need some good advice. I just can't be getting less than 50% hatch rates again or I'll cry

Please please help me!

I have Brinseas 28 and 56. Testing showed the 56 struggled achiveing hatch humidity when the room was 61 degrees. With the room in the high 60s, it did fine hitting 65% with no problem, and fast. The 28 did great at both temperatures. My first hatch was in the 28, 8 of 9 fertile eggs hatched. All eggs were purchased in a drive by curb delivery from Chicken Scratch Poultry, so no shipping information sorry.

 

[Manhen]

I wish I could go pick up eggs but I'm immune-suppressed, so I can't go outside (nor my family), till covid-19 has completely calmed down. I've been told by my doctors, that I'll probably die if I get it, so not to chance it. So sadly, until I've established a flock and get my own eggs, It's impossible for the time being (because believe me I would!).

I tried looking for a nurture right 360, but they don't have them in the UK.

Thank you for the help and advice! I completely understand I'll get low hatch rates, but from all they sites I've read, they said 50% on average, and I'm not getting anywhere close that... And the eggs aren't being shipped far, as we're in the UK, everywhere is pretty close.

I am in the US. Hatching purchased eggs is risky according to all the posts I have read. I have 77 leghorns (laid here) in Brinsea 28 and 56, I will let the site know upon hatching.

 

[connieconnie]

I have Brinseas 28 and 56. Testing showed the 56 struggled achiveing hatch humidity when the room was 61 degrees. With the room in the high 60s, it did fine hitting 65% with no problem, and fast. The 28 did great at both temperatures. My first hatch was in the 28, 8 of 9 fertile eggs hatched. All eggs were purchased in a drive by curb delivery from Chicken Scratch Poultry, so no shipping information sorry.

thank you for the information!

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Mam, the Brinsea EX models have humidity control, one more thing you that is handled for you, my two cents worth.

 

[connieconnie]

Mam, the Brinsea EX models have humidity control, one more thing you that is handled for you, my two cents worth.

That's exactly what I ordered! When for the Maxi II EX, so I could hatch at least a dozen eggs at a time, but have everything but candling done for me