Incubating....Hard or easy?

[OldChurchEggery1]

Would that be their mini eco or octagon eco?

It's the Octagon Eco. Sometimes Brinsea runs promotional pricing and it can be a good deal.

 

[silkymom1986]

It's kind of hard to answer. I LOVE incubating so at first I was thinking no brainer, but then I thought about how me and my hubs slowly got into it. We started with 3 full grown hens and a Rooster just wanting fresh eggs. After getting use to taking care of them, we got 6 chicks from TSC and raised till they were about 3 months then decided we wanted to try incubating. As people have already said, sometimes the only way to get fertile eggs is to have them shipped which almost always brings your hatch rate down. We incubated our own eggs for our first hatch and had great success. It was so exciting knowing we had gone through all the steps ourselves! Now I incubate shipped eggs trying to get different breeds, it is harder with shipped eggs in my opinion, but worth it when you have little peeps!!! It is really a personal preference if you ask me. You have to think about how much time you have to put in it and money.

 

[folgerrd]

It's the Octagon Eco. Sometimes Brinsea runs promotional pricing and it can be a good deal.

I looked at that one, it looks really nice, I have a question about it though. Does the turner damage the eggs at all? It just seems like flipping the whole thing over would be dangerous.

 

[folgerrd]

It's kind of hard to answer. I LOVE incubating so at first I was thinking no brainer, but then I thought about how me and my hubs slowly got into it. We started with 3 full grown hens and a Rooster just wanting fresh eggs. After getting use to taking care of them, we got 6 chicks from TSC and raised till they were about 3 months then decided we wanted to try incubating. As people have already said, sometimes the only way to get fertile eggs is to have them shipped which almost always brings your hatch rate down. We incubated our own eggs for our first hatch and had great success. It was so exciting knowing we had gone through all the steps ourselves! Now I incubate shipped eggs trying to get different breeds, it is harder with shipped eggs in my opinion, but worth it when you have little peeps!!! It is really a personal preference if you ask me. You have to think about how much time you have to put in it and money.

I see your point. As for how much time and money, I will put years into this, I was given the idea a year or two ago and am willing to put in much more time for research and actual keeping. Money is a different story, money isn't as freely usable as time.

 

[Corg33]

You just push off the "what to do with males" problem on someone else.
Yes but hatcheries choose to except responsibility when they sell sexed chicks, its part of the business for them. Hatcheries go into it knowing males are not going to sell. I have read many stories asking what to do with the roosters or people having to get rid of roosters they have become attached to. The rooster issue was also the biggest issue when we decided to hatch eggs.


The cost of an incubator is the main prohibiting factor in hatching your own eggs. A good one can be steep.
I would not recommend spending hundreds of dollars to someone just starting out. Many people use the Little Giant and Hovabators with great success and they price tag starts at $50.

 

[gryeyes]

I looked at that one, it looks really nice, I have a question about it though. Does the turner damage the eggs at all? It just seems like flipping the whole thing over would be dangerous.

It doesn't flip the whole thing OVER, it slowly rocks it in an arc from side to side. 45 degrees to 90 to 45 the othe side, then it starts back the other direction. If you notice the octagon shape, if you don't have the turner cradle, you set it on one flat spot, then on the next flat spot, then the next one, etc., making the arc yourself. Sideways, not end over end. I use the Octagon20 Advance EX, which also has a humidity pump to automate that process. The Eco is no turner, the Advance has the turner, the Advance Ex has turner and humidity pump. I also have MiniAdvance EX units. For newbies, start with chicks, grow 'em up, then consider hatching. That was my progression....

 

[folgerrd]

It doesn't flip the whole thing OVER, it slowly rocks it in an arc from side to side. 45 degrees to 90 to 45 the othe side, then it starts back the other direction. If you notice the octagon shape, if you don't have the turner cradle, you set it on one flat spot, then on the next flat spot, then the next one, etc., making the arc yourself. Sideways, not end over end.
I use the Octagon20 Advance EX, which also has a humidity pump to automate that process. The Eco is no turner, the Advance has the turner, the Advance Ex has turner and humidity pump. I also have MiniAdvance EX units.
For newbies, start with chicks, grow 'em up, then consider hatching. That was my progression....

Oh I see, thanks for clearing that up! One last question, it holds 20 eggs right? well do you have to fill it with 20 or could you put just, say, 10?

 

[debs_flock]

Oh I see, thanks for clearing that up! One last question, it holds 20 eggs right? well do you have to fill it with 20 or could you put just, say, 10?

You could put in one if you wanted to. Incubators don't need to be run full, I'm starting to wonder about my current set of 45 (full plus 3 extras stacked).

Deb

 

[folgerrd]

You could put in one if you wanted to. Incubators don't need to be run full, I'm starting to wonder about my current set of 45 (full plus 3 extras stacked).

Deb

Thanks!

 

[OkChickens]

Here is my Incubator and Hatcher. It is the same thing as a GQF. They are super easy to use! I picked them up for $100. Check craigslist for used incubators! Hatching is a great learning experience and very easy to do!



Nate