Incubators

[WoDia]

Your smart to not trust the temps and humidity on the incubators devices! I use at least one back up for both. My next to the last hatch would of been better except I slipped up and trusted a new device and did not check it for several days with a back up. The temps were off a full degree and the humidity several degrees!

I place 4 digital temperature/hygrometers. When I first began incubating Seramas, I was checking that thing several times a day and night in hopes that I would always have everything right. They aren’t the easiest to artificially incubate. I researched everything I could find, did everything right, and I was still practically parked by that incubator 24/7 watching temperature and humidity readings! Since then, I’ve primarily let my broodies take that pressure off of me.

 

[Birdsonghill]

I love natural broods! But some hens are not good mothers and many of the chicks are killed off with a poor mother. That always upsets me. Indeed, some hens will kill the chicks themselves occasionally. When I get a successful natural brood raised up, it overjoys me to this day! Araucanas and later Ameracana Bantams made excellent mothers and I had good success with barred rock hens and "some" Buff Orpingtons that decided to brood and raise chicks. Results with most breeds has been spotty at best. I am a bit lazy about interfering much and that could make a difference. I usually incubate most of my replacement chicks or buy them as day old chicks.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I always eyeball what is available hatchery wise around the time I have eggs hatching.

 

[JChipowsky]

A couple months old, but a good discussion to keep going. I got this cheap one off Amazon for my father in-law, he hatched probably about 24 eggs in it (6 at a time), with about a 75% hatch rate. Over the last winter one of the cats knocked it down and it broke. I got a second one for myself, hatched 6 out of 7 eggs the first round, and our most recent hatch was 10 out of 12. Pretty good for cheap junk.
I want to look for another couple incubators, as I'm wanting to separate the different eggs I'm hatching. This picture looks just like the one I have, but it's a different brand. I'd like to be able to hatch 24 at a time.
Does anyone have low cost recommendations?

 

[gimmie birdies]

I went to the N40 in our area. They have incubators. I have a Farm innovators that is still air, hand turn. I liked it, so I got a LG still air from the N40. The cost has been the same for a few years now. The one with the fan and the turner went up about $20 though. The still air model was $54 the one with the turner was $127.