Incubators and Brooders

[peckyscotch]

Hi I'm away to start hatching chickens for my first time but I don't have any equipment yet. Does anyone know where I could get fairly small incubators and brooders?

 

[pjquail]

If you want to buy one I would highly recommend purchasing one from amazon.com. But if you are interested in making one (like I did) Here is a quick video that helped me, but I customized it a little bit to make it more practical:

But to make my brooder I used a large and deep Tupperware container (approx. 2 ft. high, 3 ft. long) and cut a rectangle out of the top and replaced it with hardware cloth, bought a brooder heat lamp, put pine shavings and hay inside the habitat and obviously food and a waterer. I hope this has helped at all!

 

[Michael OShay]

I've used the Genesis styrofoam incubators on a number of occasions and always had a good hatch rate from them. Murray McMurray has a nice one for under $200 at http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/full_view_picture_window_incubator.html. It holds up to 70 chicken eggs. Just be sure to get one with a circulating fan and automatic egg turner. Good luck in getting an incubator.

 

[peckyscotch]

My one arrived today and it is a brinsea mini eco 10 egg incubator from Amazon. I can't wait to try it!!!

 

[pjquail]

Good for you! Please tell me how you like it and what your hatch rate was when the chicks hatch?

If my DIY incubator doesn't meet expectations I will probably purchase an official one from amazon also.