My wife has decided to delve into the thought of incubating some eggs for her children at school. We live in the country and have had chickens for a year+ now and our children love them. My wife has just gotten a job teaching in the big city with children and aids that don't know the first thing about chickens. She asked me about hatching eggs and I said let a hen do it. No, she wants an incubator she can take to school. I don't know the first thing about incubators so I suggusted asking the chicken hot line (you) What brand of incubators you would recomend or not recomend. So here we are please give us some help and tell us what we will need. Thanks.
hova-bator incubator the genesis 1588 with the egg turner. it has a full window you can see the eggs . there are others . and you can make one too.
Get the Brinsea Mini-Advance EX, if you can afford it. If not, just don't get the EX model. Holds 7 chicken eggs. Has digital controls, auto-turner, good viewing. Small footprint, good for counter top incubating. The non-EX model display counts down to the number of days for incubation once you set it, stops turning the eggs when it should for lockdown. The EX model has a humidity pump so you don't need to open the incubator to add water to the reservoir.... The non-EX model will require you to use a small hygrometer to monitor the humidity. The EX model will never have standing water in the reservoir, so no newly hatched chicks will get their little wobbly heads into it and drown. And don't buy it from eBay, either - Brinsea has some website only sales right now!
I agree with Gryeyes. I have the mini advance and wished I got the Ex version. the advance is extremely easy to use, so my only gripe is the humidity. with the Ex, you'd never have to touch it. and it's great for letting kids see the action.
the chicken hot line I love it! We call BYC the "Chicken Channel" because we sit in front of it as a family,.. Hope you find the incubator your looking for ,.. We have an LG still air,. I am looking for a better one after this hatch,.. My Hubby can build ANYTHING,.. WHEN he can find the time,.. he's already working on a larger coop so I will wait a while to ask him to build a bator,.. there are so many good and easy plans on "the chicken hotline" that don't cost the high prices of ready made. I think the children that have your wife as a teacher are in for a treat!
Dont buy a cheep LG, although i like mine, it can be disappointing. I would def invest money into the Brinsea
Get a grant from the school & get a Sportsman 1502. The school can sell all of the chicks for $$ towards a fieldtrip!!