Cheap chinese incubators

[birdmandan]

I have used a hovabator for years with great results but it has since died and i recently bought a cheap one off ebay.

Recently, i've seen a surge in cheap chinese incubators in my country.

They have auto turners, are fully digital with fan but have fluctuate up and down by a degree or two.

The quality european ones aren't even on ebay anymore.

A breeder told me she was getting around a 50% hatch rate due to temperature fluctuations.

She got 98% with incredibly expensive steel incubator.

Anyone here have any luck with the cheap chinese stuff?

I have just put in 70 eggs and will let you know my results in 2.5 weeks time...

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quite a few folks have had very good success building and using their own incubators (especially using coolers). Check this out:

Homemade Easy Cooler Incubator

My Coolerbator

 

[HUGHES555]

I use one of these cheap china incubators with great hatches 90% and up. I did have to replace the heating element in it. It went out half way through my 1st hatch. But after I ordered and installed a better element in it works great. The temp holds if you keep the bottom inside the styrofoam from the packaging. The part that counts the days doesn't work right but I don't use that anyway so not a big deal for me. It has been running for the passed 6 months non-stop hatching quail and chickens. I fill it up with water when I set it up and don't worry about it, until it's lock down time. So if you are going to get one go ahead and find another heating element on ebay and order it. I've talked with a few people that have them and they had the same problems with it.

 

[birdmandan]

Mine is going strong at the moment. I left all the polystyrene on the incubator, covered it with the cardboard box plus a blanket and keep it in the wardrobe of a temperature controlled house. The humidity is 70% though. I only filled the smallest tray with water. I might just dry incubate them until lockdown. Dry is already 40%-50% humidity in my house!

 

[bahamabanty]

I also bought one of the plastic yellow incubators (https://www.amazon.com/Best-Choice-...UTF8&qid=1499355231&sr=8-5&keywords=incubator) I was a bit sceptical but I am on my fiftth hatch, I bought it in January '17. I like it better than my brinsea mini-eco. I have had really good results. 90-100% hatch. One hatch was messed up but we had a lot of power outages during that one. I left the foam around it, that comes with the shipping box. Also I dont add any water at all. We have humidity of around 40-55% here. It fluctuates around 55% on the digital screen. I love I dont have to do anything.

 

[birdmandan]

Got my first hatchling at day 15... the little dude imprinted onto my hand. Long story there involving humidity and an unexpected early hatch... i will start a thread about it soon.... everytime it sees me, the little dude comes running. When i leave the room, it squeeks non stop. It runs and jumps into my hand on sight. Gonna pull a few heart strings when it comes to slaughter time!!

 

[birdmandan]

The results are in. Out of 70 eggs, i had 50 hatched. 4 had splayed legs, all from day 15. I successfully corrected 2 of them. The other 2 died. The late hatchers (day 18 - 19) were physically weaker than the earlier ones (day 16-17). 3 of the late hatchers died. 2 are in a questionable state. I checked the eggs that failed. Half had dead chicks. The other half were infertile or failed to develop at all (well, it is winter after all). A few were rotten. The strongest chicks were from day 16-17. 50/70 hatch rate with 45 strong chicks. Not bad for a winter hatch with a $70 incubator.