Brinsea Ovation 28 EX or 56 EX?

[Manhen]

@Manhen any further updates? How did it go? Do you think the ballast bottles help?

I didn't go with those. I used the larger evaporation block in the Brinsea 28 with 10 Blue Ameraucana and 10 Blue Laced Red Sebring eggs (Chicken Scratch Poultry is nearby and I did a pick-up!) in it now and it is working great. Day 11, time to candle the eggses. Next week I will put 28 Leghorn eggs into the 56, and a week following 28 Welsumers, then 28 Dominiques. This should leave me in the end with 10 of each hens except the newer breeds where I will have 5ish. The 56 won't go above 50% humidity at the low end of the temp range, but that is expected.

The 28 is the "hatcher" and the 56 is the "incubator". Time to start.

My old barn has a new roof and pole barn on second side, so it's 2000 sq ft under roof (1500 sq ft are inside ), and a 1000 sq ft hayloft as a kicker.

The additional pens are going up, I now have 800 ft of fencing to add, and with the lockdown I get to do it myself. When it is done there will be about 2 acres enclosed.

I have roosters to gift anyone.

 

[Manhen]

We love our 56 ex
We live in Southern Alberta, it is very dry.
The incubator holds 40% humidity and perfect temperature all day.
During lock down I fill the reservoir's 3/4 full and put wet paper towel in the corner. We have no problems getting 70% humidity.

Not sure on this but: I think ambient RH would affect it a lot. I find if the evaporation blocks are covered, even some, with water pooled in the bottom of the well, the blocks don't work as well. I think that is why the newer products have bigger blocks in them. I wouldn't use a cover unless you have to. I don't know why they don't have an overflow channel to the second well. It would have solved the problem.

 

[KSH1]

I didn't go with those. I used the larger evaporation block in the Brinsea 28 with 10 Blue Ameraucana and 10 Blue Laced Red Sebring eggs (Chicken Scratch Poultry is nearby and I did a pick-up!) in it now and it is working great. Day 11, time to candle the eggses. Next week I will put 28 Leghorn eggs into the 56, and a week following 28 Welsumers, then 28 Dominiques. This should leave me in the end with 10 of each hens except the newer breeds where I will have 5ish. The 56 won't go above 50% humidity at the low end of the temp range, but that is expected.

The 28 is the "hatcher" and the 56 is the "incubator". Time to start.

My old barn has a new roof and pole barn on second side, so it's 2000 sq ft under roof (1500 sq ft are inside ), and a 1000 sq ft hayloft as a kicker.

The additional pens are going up, I now have 800 ft of fencing to add, and with the lockdown I get to do it myself. When it is done there will be about 2 acres enclosed.

I have roosters to gift anyone.

So you don't have any trouble maintaining temperature with it half full? Cool. I envy your big barn. I could use another barn or two...

 

[Manhen]

So you don't have any trouble maintaining temperature with it half full? Cool. I envy your big barn. I could use another barn or two...

More than half, 20/28. Yeah, I am lucky. Great-Grand-Daddy with several Great Uncles built it. Incubators aren't in the barn yet, I have them where there is a heater for the room. I have to think about doing it in the barn as there is limited power. Heat can't be electric, and that place would burn. Maybe a remote wood furnace using water heating.

 

[KSH1]

Yeah sorry I meant the 56 is only about half full. I'm debating whether to put my incubator in the basement with steady but cool temperatures and a bit more ambient humidity versus an unused bathroom upstairs with no exterior walls. I could close a room in the basement and add a space heater if needed. Not sure how warm the upstairs bathroom gets in the summer, so I'm leaning toward basement.

 

[Manhen]

Yeah sorry I meant the 56 is only about half full. I'm debating whether to put my incubator in the basement with steady but cool temperatures and a bit more ambient humidity versus an unused bathroom upstairs with no exterior walls. I could close a room in the basement and add a space heater if needed. Not sure how warm the upstairs bathroom gets in the summer, so I'm leaning toward basement.

I think it just can't be too cool. The rating of 60 degrees is a the limit of performance. Put it on a piece of Styrofoam to reduce early pooling in the well.

 

[Shannon Robinson50]

If you’re still looking, I’ve had a brinsea mini II advanced. I love it. We just got a brinsea ovation 56ex. I’ve set it up prior to my hatching eggs arriving to get rid of any smells and insure it works properly. I’m in California. So far I m not having any issues. I followed all directions, set the machine to my hatchery’s recommendations and settings. I tried the incubator with and without the humidity sponge. In both cases the humidity was at perfect levels. I’m not sure if I can set the eggs in the provided racks big end up or not yet as I don’t know the size yet. If not the large egg racks( seems strange to go up in size fir quail eggs, but they go in 2 rows in the holder rather than single rows) are available, if pricy.
basically brinsea is amazing quality, but it’s expensive. Further, I believe that the people who get the most out of a product have researched it and fully understand how it operates. Read all instruction. Watch the videos put out by brinsea. Learn all you can about them and I believe that you will have amazing hatches with brinsea.

 

[Birdie2019]

I didn't go with those. I used the larger evaporation block in the Brinsea 28 with 10 Blue Ameraucana and 10 Blue Laced Red Sebring eggs (Chicken Scratch Poultry is nearby and I did a pick-up!) in it now and it is working great. Day 11, time to candle the eggses. Next week I will put 28 Leghorn eggs into the 56, and a week following 28 Welsumers, then 28 Dominiques. This should leave me in the end with 10 of each hens except the newer breeds where I will have 5ish. The 56 won't go above 50% humidity at the low end of the temp range, but that is expected.

The 28 is the "hatcher" and the 56 is the "incubator". Time to start.

My old barn has a new roof and pole barn on second side, so it's 2000 sq ft under roof (1500 sq ft are inside ), and a 1000 sq ft hayloft as a kicker.

The additional pens are going up, I now have 800 ft of fencing to add, and with the lockdown I get to do it myself. When it is done there will be about 2 acres enclosed.

I have roosters to gift anyone.

If you’re still looking, I’ve had a brinsea mini II advanced. I love it. We just got a brinsea ovation 56ex. I’ve set it up prior to my hatching eggs arriving to get rid of any smells and insure it works properly. I’m in California. So far I m not having any issues. I followed all directions, set the machine to my hatchery’s recommendations and settings. I tried the incubator with and without the humidity sponge. In both cases the humidity was at perfect levels. I’m not sure if I can set the eggs in the provided racks big end up or not yet as I don’t know the size yet. If not the large egg racks( seems strange to go up in size fir quail eggs, but they go in 2 rows in the holder rather than single rows) are available, if pricy.
basically brinsea is amazing quality, but it’s expensive. Further, I believe that the people who get the most out of a product have researched it and fully understand how it operates. Read all instruction. Watch the videos put out by brinsea. Learn all you can about them and I believe that you will have amazing hatches with brinsea.

Please give an update! How did you like the 56 EX after all? I’m debating whether to get the 28, 56, or neither. I need a bator with automatic humidity. Did the 56 ever work as a hatcher, or no? I think I could use the NR360 as a Hatcher, if needed. It’s a great bator, just doesn’t hold many eggs and doesn’t hold its humidity. I would be so thankful for an update.