Incubators, your favorite brand/type and any suggestions

[mangled]

I love my Brower Top Hatch. Stromberg's has them on sale right now with free shipping ... think my husband will notice the 2nd incubator?

LOL


I used an LG still air for years and it finally went kaput on me. I decided that another Brower was the way to go.


Blessings-
Em

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I have a Brinsea Mini Advanced - it holds the temp very well and I like to use it to hatch my Seramas and some of my other eggs that are harder to hatch, but it only holds 7 eggs, which is a downer.

I also have a Genesis Hova-Bator 1588, I LOVE IT!

It holds 42 eggs and is just an great little incubator.

I also have two GQFs, they're just great but unless you're going to start incubating hundreds of eggs at once I doubt you'll want that. I mostly use my Hova-Bator, unless I'm incubator 50+ (like I am most of the time

).

~ Aspen

 

[hillbillycitygirl]

price, and all that dont matter to us, we just want to know more about incubators and what you feel is the best and why. We have researched each one posted so far and still are undecided. Right now we are only looking at incubating chickens but in the future we may do more ducks and quail, guineas, turkey...who knows....the possibilities are endless.

We looked at a few at the family farm and fleet and at tractor supply and knew that the wild world of incubators must be better than what they were carrying in stock...and had no idea where to start.

Thanks! Keep the options coming!

 

[Wyogirl]

Quote:

Ayda

 

[A.T. Hagan]

You still haven't said how many eggs you want to incubate at any one time. That makes a big difference in the suggestions we can make.

For a handful of eggs then look at the Brinsea 20.

For thirty to fifty eggs then look at a Hovabator or a Brinsea 40.

For a hundred or more then look at the cabinet models. Dickey or GQF both make good equipment. I have a Dickey 2x2 myself and hatched a couple of hundred birds this year.

 

[Arielle]

I'm trying to set up the LG now; started sat and still fussing with it. It was the only one available at the feed store.

I needed to calibrate the thermometer; which means buying other quality thermometers (medical)and setting them in warm water about 100 degrees and seeing shich ones match, or course none matched.

Putting it together was easy. Lid fits easily onto the bottom.And plug in. Needed to supply my own surge protector to even out the electical supply's effect on the machines temperature.

Created my own heat sinks. 4 mason jars filled with water. TO make up for the lack of egg numbers; LG holds it's temperatures better when is is full.

Allows for a turner; or by hand, which I am doing as TUrkey eggs cannot fit using the turner.

Setting it up has proven a bit difficult to stabilize the temperature. The thermometers are all over the place. It has it's warm and cooler spots ( still air) and requires the eggs be rotated from the middle to the outer edges.

Be sure to put it on a level surface as the water rings are very shallow and overflow easily and the water drips out the vent holes onto the floor.

Must put on solid surface, no toweling underneath that will block vent holes.

Still air LG needs a stable room temperature; a narrow margin, like 65-72 degrees; a fan operated one has a much wider tolerance, can't remember specifically, about 15-20 degree range. If using a turner, do not put an egg in hole next to motor. (Applies to all incubators using a turner)


This is what I know so far. I found the instruction booklet on line; perhaps you can read the manuals for several brands and see what clues you can glean there.

THe LG has been more difficult to set up than I thought ( did a boat load of reading to prep myself) and it has no humidity guage; will make my own wet bulb thermometer and candle for accuracy. (Find a good diagram showing the increasing air cell size and candle to verify progress of your own eggs--this is what I plan to do.)

Hope this helps; many people have good results using the LG, others do not. It is about patience and a good set up initially according to ChooksChick.

Hope others will post other models.

 

[hillbillycitygirl]

Like I said before, right now we are want to do small scale and may down the line move up to doing more. We are doing the old fashioned method right now, with our broody hen, but would like to hatch some eggs for friends even if we dont have a broody. My husband would like to eventually do quail, turkey, ducks etc.

I guess I am looking more for your input...
what do you have that you like, what have you used that you dont like.....trying to weed through the zillions of choices before diving in head first.