Storybook Farm
Songster
Here is my problem: I don't know what Incubator to purchase. I have never incubated eggs before so I'm a total newbie.
My budget is small, so I've been looking at the Genesis 1588. My concern is that so many seem to discuss temperature spikes, or Genesis machines running lower than their digital readouts indicate, etc. I know that with any one of incubators, there are sure to be a few bad apples. However it seems that it's a somewhat common experience to have trouble with the Genesis incubators.
The reason that this matters to me so much, is that I have the opportunity to incubate some really good shipped eggs soon, and I'm worried about ruining them. We have a backyard flock which we have successfully kept for about a year. I want to upgrade my flock by buying purebred eggs, and I've read a lot about shipped eggs being even more fragile than backyard eggs.
My plan would be to incubate my first time with some of my own backyard "mutt" eggs and raise them for meat, and then get my special eggs shipped to me and do my second hatch with them. From what I read about the Genesis 1588, though, it can go south at any point. So, even if my first hatch goes great, there's no guarantee that the second one, with a special eggs, we go as well. Especially since they are shipped eggs!
I've looked at the Brinseas & I find them both expensive and small for my needs. If I succeed in incubating, I will probably want to do bigger batches than 20 chicks (minus the few that you lose in any hatch) since each hatch would be raised separately, requiring separate feeders, waters, living accommodations, etc. In terms of budget, the Brinsea 20 ECO is about what I could afford.
My husband is reasonably handy, and could probably create a coolerbator from all the great information given here on Backyard Chicken. His objection to that option is that his coolerbator would probably even be less reliable, especially because we are newbies, than the Genesis would be. My thought is that we could make sure to purchase quality components, and how hard can it be to get it right?
For me, the bottom line really is feeling confident enough to not freak out during the three weeks that we're hatching chicks. I don't have a great track record with just sitting back and believing that things will go well.
Please tell me what your advice is, especially if you know about the Genesis 1588, making your own coolerbator (IS it hard to get right?) and all of the other aspects that I've discussed above. I really could benefit some from some advice from experienced hatchers! Thanks so much in advance!
My budget is small, so I've been looking at the Genesis 1588. My concern is that so many seem to discuss temperature spikes, or Genesis machines running lower than their digital readouts indicate, etc. I know that with any one of incubators, there are sure to be a few bad apples. However it seems that it's a somewhat common experience to have trouble with the Genesis incubators.
The reason that this matters to me so much, is that I have the opportunity to incubate some really good shipped eggs soon, and I'm worried about ruining them. We have a backyard flock which we have successfully kept for about a year. I want to upgrade my flock by buying purebred eggs, and I've read a lot about shipped eggs being even more fragile than backyard eggs.
My plan would be to incubate my first time with some of my own backyard "mutt" eggs and raise them for meat, and then get my special eggs shipped to me and do my second hatch with them. From what I read about the Genesis 1588, though, it can go south at any point. So, even if my first hatch goes great, there's no guarantee that the second one, with a special eggs, we go as well. Especially since they are shipped eggs!
I've looked at the Brinseas & I find them both expensive and small for my needs. If I succeed in incubating, I will probably want to do bigger batches than 20 chicks (minus the few that you lose in any hatch) since each hatch would be raised separately, requiring separate feeders, waters, living accommodations, etc. In terms of budget, the Brinsea 20 ECO is about what I could afford.
My husband is reasonably handy, and could probably create a coolerbator from all the great information given here on Backyard Chicken. His objection to that option is that his coolerbator would probably even be less reliable, especially because we are newbies, than the Genesis would be. My thought is that we could make sure to purchase quality components, and how hard can it be to get it right?
For me, the bottom line really is feeling confident enough to not freak out during the three weeks that we're hatching chicks. I don't have a great track record with just sitting back and believing that things will go well.
Please tell me what your advice is, especially if you know about the Genesis 1588, making your own coolerbator (IS it hard to get right?) and all of the other aspects that I've discussed above. I really could benefit some from some advice from experienced hatchers! Thanks so much in advance!
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