Best Incubator?

[ozexpat]

Before you buy, also look at all the accessories you need. I use a cheapie styro-bator. The day and night temps are 78-88 all year round so its not an issue for me but... When you add up the turner, fan kits, hygrometers, thermometers and losses of eggs during the learning curve - the Brinsea Octo 20 may well be worth it.

Study, research and drive yourself crazy.. then make your purchase.

Good luck

 

[Hawgon]

I have had great Serama hatches with my Brinsea Mini Advanced inucbator. I did buy the optional small egg turner disc for it and it works great for Serama eggs. It holds temps very well and is easy to program and clean. The major advantage it has to many others for me is the clear dome so my grandkids can enjoy the hatching process. It is quite an event to see all of us gathered around it in the middle of the night watching and the second a chick pops out my 6 year old granddaughter names it..




New Serama next to a AAA battery.



That little chick now all grown up!


Our first egg from those same Seramas...

 

[hereorthere]

Thanks Hawgon for that side-shot! I've too been thinking about putting my hands on an incubator and have considered the Brinsea Mini Advance; but thought I read some where that it was too short height-wise..... but it looks like there's plenty of head space for your Serama.... are they Large Fowl? I've got LF Welsummers eggs, so I'm not sure if that makes any difference or not.

I have had great Serama hatches with my Brinsea Mini Advanced inucbator. I did buy the optional small egg turner disc for it and it works great for Serama eggs. It holds temps very well and is easy to program and clean. The major advantage it has to many others for me is the clear dome so my grandkids can enjoy the hatching process. It is quite an event to see all of us gathered around it in the middle of the night watching and the second a chick pops out my 6 year old granddaughter names it..




New Serama next to a AAA battery.

 

[Hawgon]

Hereorthere-They are a mini chicken but I have hatched Rhode Island Reds in mine with no problem and heard of others hatching ducks. By the time they need more room than what is in the incubator I am moving them to my brooder.

 

[chiqita]

In that price range you will end up with a Styrofoam incubator. You want one with a FAN and an AUTO TURNER. ( if you can afford it fan before auto turner if $ becomes an issue) farm innovators has a good kit that includes bator turner and a OK candler ( should be fine for seramas eggs) that pops up a bit over 100 from time to time. That one holds temps pretty well. I like the one we were using. Hovabators are also good. Little giants get mixed reviews. If you are very handy you can put a fan in the incubator yourself, but be sure you like working with wires before you do that. Brinsea makes WONDERFUL incubators, but they run more then that. if youa re doing very expensive eggs, it is worth springing for.

I recommend getting an extra digital thermometer and hydrometer to calibrate the one with the incubator. we got one from OSH, but they are around everywhere. Stick that in it so you have temps from 2 places and you don't accidentally fry your eggs.

Craigslist and ebay are good places to look, also do some searches on line under the company names. Just make sure to find those 2 items with your incubator if you can.

Good luck making a choice!