Incubators, Newbies go buy one or DIY ?

[25bengood2me]

I've looked over all the DIY incubators, but doubt I could make even the simplest one!
Would it be wise to just buy one from the tractor supply?

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

We have tools, gadgets, the know how, and all kinds of stuff to make one.. But we chose to get one from tractor supply. Easier, faster, and fool proof..

 

[Omani]

Being new to hatching eggs, we decided to start with a store bought one. So my DH bought me one from Tractor Supply for christmas. It's still sitting in the closet until the weather warms up a bit.
The way I see it, I would like to get some experience with hatching rather than building. ( My DH can build anything.) Buying an incubator means you take the construction part out of the equation. If all goes well with a trial run of our own eggs; then we'll buy some. If that works then we'll consider building one.
I guess it depends on what you want to learn first. Kind of like buying your 16 year old a Lamborgini when he gets his permit instead of waiting until he's 21 and gone through half a dozen clunkers. Personally, I'd like a little experience before I lay out the big bucks.
But that's just me.

 

[embkm]

I made a homemade bator. After 2 pitiful hatches, I gave up for the winter. Now I am trying to decide whether to rework the homemade one again or to just buy one.

 

[ccrawf]

I borrowed and incubator from a friend over the winter and it worked pretty good. Wish I had my own. I’m thinking of building one instead of buying one. The thermostat is causing me problems. I’ll keep it in a room that has a pretty constant temperature, and am thinking about just trying a rheostat for a controller and lights for the heating source.
Any thoughts on that or any one tried that?

 

[Apprentice_egger]

I would suggest buying an LG or Hovabator. Don't start out by trying to figure out where things went wrong.

Omani, I'd suggest you get some fertilized eggs from a farmer or store and try that incubator out. Then buy your expensive breeds that you want and hatch those after you have things figured out. What's a few extra chickens?

ccrawf, the problem I can see with just a rheostat is that the heat from whatever your source will be on continuously and will just cook your eggs. Unless you are going to sit by your incubator for 21 days turning it up and down. If there was a bulb out there that held a perfect 99.5* to 102* we'd probably all buy them. Then you wouldn't need to set anything, just turn it on and leave it.

 

[foxrunbantams]

hovabator is easy to control heat

 

[foxrunbantams]

little giants pretty good

 

[foxrunbantams]

sportsman bators are good if you want to set alot of eggs you can pick one up for around 1500 to 2000 dollars

 

[lotzahenz]

My mam-ma always said, "If you're gonna do something, do it right" and I would have saved myself so much TIME and heartache by buying a decent bator the very first time around. I suggest the Hovabator with the auto thermostat and an auto turner. Just plug and play. Add a bit of H20 and forget about her. She will do the work for you, put in your hygro/therm. and keep an eye on the humidity and make sure the temps stay between 99 and 100. Don't go switching the little buttons, just use the default for chicken eggs, and trust her. She will hatch all the eggs you want and the cost is worth the extra over the LG and no turner. Now, getting a sportsman or better is another story, if you have the money, and wants LOTS of birds, that is the way to go. This is just my opinion after several years of hatching out of styrafoam bators. If I had a BIG bator, I'd be more than over run with chickens.....................hum............not a bad idea. I'll start savin now. You can build a project bator once you have an idea of how it is supposed to work. It boils down the the $$ in the end sometimes. Best of luck, HenZ