I'm thinking of getting a 'bator....

[never_ending_fermata]

I think it would be easier this year to get an incubator instead of waiting for my hens to go broody. Should I order online? Where? I don't want to spent too much. I don't really want to spent more then $100. Where did you get yours? I want one that fits at least 10-20 or more eggs. thanks for the help!

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

Mine is a Little Giant. Its pretty ghetto but is was 25$ at the feed store. Its working fine I saw jumping pulsating embryos yesterday day 5. Looking at the eggs (candling) is so fun. It's like being an ultrasound technition at home!

 

[panner123]

Build your own. Follow the plans MissPrissy has honored us with. The thing looks good and the plans are laid out so even I could follow them.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

That's the price range I said too lol THEN I read about the Hovabator 1588 and was SOLD...it was 150 but hear its exceptional.

 

[coopist]

The thing is, almost any incubator, "ghetto" styrofoam

, home-made, or whatever, can be made to work well enough with proper monitoring. I say this with around 15 years of experience of off-and-on incubating. I may not be a "Flock Master" on here, but I was hatching eggs before this site existed

Wow, I sound like an old coot

In addition to my fancy R-Com digital (which requires no monitoring), I have two old LG still airs that I still use (and watch); one had the corner gnawed off by a cat, and I glued it back. I have Bobwhite quail in it now, as a matter of fact, and they're coming right along.

Anyway, the worst hatch I've ever gotten in a styrofoam bator was 2 chicks out of 20 eggs: 10%. But that was with shipped eggs. With my own, I usually get at least 50%, sometimes up to 90%. Basically, I'm saying that if you're vigilant, you can hatch chicks. Barring an extremely poor thermostat or severe accidents, which can happen to anyone, sure, the *person* does the incubating, not the bator. So, you can spend $40 or $140 or $400 and you can have chicks...

 

[meriruka]

Quote:
What's the hatch rate on the r-com? Are you happy with it? I really want one of those things, but it's a lot of $ if it's not wonderful.

 

[swiftfoot]

yeah i am even going to build on of miss prissys

 

[coopist]

Meriruka,

It's a very nice machine. It holds a really stable temp and humidity. You can set the eggs and walk away feeling completely confident, only returning to add water as needed. I have only two complaints with it: 1) you really have to calibrate it when you set it up because it's not perfect out of the box 2) it plays a little ditty every time it turns the eggs, and you can't turn it off, lol. Once it's calibrated, though, it does the job. I'd say my hatch rate is consistently 90-95% with my own eggs in that machine. Shipped eggs would be around 65% on average, I'd say.

 

[meriruka]

Ok, now I really want one......