Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[fowlman01]

Chris, I turned down a 300-400 egg, redwood incubator a month or two back. I simply don't have a need for that level of instant production. LOL.

I'm probably one of the few guys who remember taking eggs to "guy", often a Mennonite gentleman, who'd incubate your eggs for you in a Kerosene fired incubator. When they hatched, you went back and picked them up and paid him a dime or 20 cents an egg for his effort. There are still a few places left in the US where this is still done, but not many.

Redwood incubators are the best IMO.

Yup..people did "custom hatching" in the old days......so much an egg.

Walt

 

[Chris09]

That is nice. I wonder what kind of success that could be had with something like this?

I've been told that if the person using it knows how to use it you can get about a 80% hatch.
The one Amish family I know had some for a wile until they had to make some "commercial" type incubators to keep up with times. (there fully auto and electric)

Chris

 

[ashandvine]

Fred,
I have some "up grading" to do with some of my incubators, I just use one of the GQF Hovabator and a homemade cabinet incubator.

Here is the cabinet incubator, I have some up grading to do to it.

Chris

I have heard a number of folks say they have an incubator and a hatcher. The one reason given so far was for cleanliness. I am not sure I understand this very well.

 

[Texasmja]

Chris, I turned down a 300-400 egg, redwood incubator a month or two back. I simply don't have a need for that level of instant production. LOL.

I'm probably one of the few guys who remember taking eggs to "guy", often a Mennonite gentleman, who'd incubate your eggs for you in a Kerosene fired incubator. When they hatched, you went back and picked them up and paid him a dime or 20 cents an egg for his effort. There are still a few places left in the US where this is still done, but not many.

We have a guy here that does that. He has a bunch of them Brinsea cabinets and they are always full.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I can only tell you this much, from my own experience. The little Octogon Brinsea has been a wonderful incubator. We've two of them. Rock solid in the temperature. Super machine. However, they don't have a lot of headroom for the chicks and while fairly easy to clean, the fuzz in the upper area is an issue for some people.

The large Hovabator Genesis has more head room, and well, more room overall. I consider these two models at $130 and $150 respectively to be where folks should begin looking. Having them both would be awesome for the average person here on BYC. Cook 'em in the Brinsea, then hatch them in the Genesis.

But, like all things. Ask a dozen people, get a dozen opinions.

 

[Texasmja]

I have heard a number of folks say they have an incubator and a hatcher. The one reason given so far was for cleanliness. I am not sure I understand this very well.

I know some on BYC are addicted to hatching, they will often keep two running because they are setting them at different intervals, so when one group is ready to hatch they move them over to the next incubator.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have heard a number of folks say they have an incubator and a hatcher. The one reason given so far was for cleanliness. I am not sure I understand this very well.

I use a foam type GQF incubator as a hatcher occasionally, especially when I have more than 3 breeding pens hatching off at one time. That way I can keep the pens appropriately separated by hatch and toe punch accordingly. I also use the hatching tray of my Sportsman to hatch as many as 2 breeding pens at a time ( I use a small wire cage to separate the eggs). As for cleanliness, I think hatching is a bit of a dusty, smelly mess, but I line my hatching tray with paper towels for easy clean up afterwards. I keep a bottle of those Clorox wipes and wipe everything down, including the insides of the incubator, in between hatches. That's just my method....figure since the Sportsman is running and using electricity, better to use it than run 2 units if its not necessary

As far as Bobs question of a simple, relatively affordable incubator....I used a pair of Genesis from GQF for several years and it worked great. I do all of my incubating and hatching in my office above the garage. It has HVAC and does not experience large temperature swings.

 

[Texasmja]

I can only tell you this much, from my own experience. The little Octogon Brinsea has been a wonderful incubator. We've two of them. Rock solid in the temperature. Super machine. However, they don't have a lot of headroom for the chicks and while fairly easy to clean, the fuzz in the upper area is an issue for some people.

My Oct 20 has been great, with my own eggs I have gotten 100% hatches. I did a lot of research before buying one. If you "like" them on Facebook you can receive updates and know when they are having sales. Right now they have a post with coupon codes for 10% and 20% off. When I needed help they were GREAT at answering my questions right away.

 

[Bentley]

I have heard a number of folks say they have an incubator and a hatcher.  The one reason given so far was for cleanliness.  I am not sure I understand this very well. 

Yes, cleanliness is one reason to have a separate setter and hatcher. During incubation, the process is relatively clean unless you have explorers or other contaminated eggs so you can often set eggs weekly or biweekly in that machine and you won't have any chick down or dander floating around with the other eggs that could contaminate them. Also when chicks hatch and the run around the can get the others eggs soiled. With a hatcher you can completely clean that machine between each hatch without disturbing any other eggs that are in the incubation process. Basically, you can hatch more often in a cleaner manner.

If you will only hatch once every three weeks then the above reasons are not valid. However, there are still benefits to having separate machines, when possible and necessary. Eggs only need to be turned during the first 2/3 of incubation (14 days in chickens, ~16 days for pheasant, and ~ 19 days for most ducks). It does not hurt to turn up to 18 days in chickens but it is not necessary. So your hatcher does not need an automatic turner so less stuff to clean and disinfect between hatches.

Another reason is that for optimum results during hatching typically the temperatures is lowered a degree or two and humidity slightly higher. You won't have to adjust the same incubator between incubation and hatching.

Having said all this. I have hatched many many eggs in my life with a single machine because 'that's all I had'. But ideally maintaining separate setters and hatchers is ideal.

 

[Chris09]

I have heard a number of folks say they have an incubator and a hatcher. The one reason given so far was for cleanliness. I am not sure I understand this very well.

I have a hatcher but the only real reason for my use is so that I don't have to turn my turners off in the incubator and so that I can also have the higher humidity the eggs need the last 3 days of hatching.

Chris