Just bought my first GQF Model 1588 Genesis Hovabator Egg Incubator

[NCchicken]

Just bought my first GQF Model 1588 Genesis Hovabator Egg Incubator with the automatic egg turner. Please tell me I made the right choice with this incubator. I have never ever hatched any eggs before in my life nor have I ever seen it happen. So you can imagine my intense excitement for all this!!

Now, moving onto getting ahold of fertlized eggs. Has anybody ever purchased them from My Pet Chicken? The McMurray Hatchery is basically sold out of eggs right now and I didn't see any here on BYC that I would be interested in hatching. Ideas, thoughts, comments??? Much appreciated!!!

 

[muddyhorse]

I love mine. what kind of eggs do you want ? eggs from mcmurry will be hatchery birds not show birds.

 

[NCchicken]

I'm not looking for show birds or anything, just some nice non broody (I already have two silkies) chickens to add to my urban backyard flock. I would love some EE or a red star. I would like something that lays medium or large brown or blue/green eggs and one that lays at least three times a week. DH desperatly wants a Polish, eventhough I know they aren't really dependable egg layers, so I was going to start with EE and Polish first and then go from there I guess. Glad to hear that you love your hovabator, I'm sure I will too

Do you think that My Pet Chicken is a dependable place to purchase fertlized eggs? Anybody out there order from them before?

 

[muddyhorse]

I haven't bought eggs from my pet chicken. I looked at the website and the eggs are really expensive $5.00 for one polish is crazy for hatchery stock. plus they could all be boys or not hatch. 50% is considered the average hatch rate for shipped eggs. If you are patient I'm sure somebody will post what you want on here or check Ebay. our polish actually lays pretty well. about 6 eggs per week. right now she is not laying because she is molting. why do you want to hatch instead of ordering pullets ? If its just for fun I understand.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I love mine. I had a 1602 before and I couldn't keep it stablilized. I broke down and got the 1588 and have been hatching in it since March. I've done about 8 hatches in it and it's still rocking along.

Post an ad in the wanted section. Surely someone can help you out. I'd offer up EE eggs, but my gang are all molting right now. I'm not getting any eggs to speak of. I have a lady that wants a couple dozen ameraucana eggs by Sunday and I'm going to have to email her back and tell her that I have a grand total of two right now. Sigh. The hatching season is kind of winding down and the chickens are slacking off for winter. You might be able to get some shipped from the warmer regions though. It's worth a try. I would recommend getting inexpensive eggs for your first round. The 1588 is plug and play, but you'll feel better learning how it works if the eggs haven't cost you a fortune.

You might also try posting an ad in your local Craigslist for hatching eggs. You'll likely get barnyard mix, but it should be substantially cheaper than getting some shipped. The eggs have a better chance of developing as well.

Good luck! Hatching is TONS of fun!!

 

[NCchicken]

Thanks so much for your replies! Yeah, I thought of posting an ad on craigslist too, maybe I should. And yes, the eggs from my pet chicken are really expensive to me too!!! I wanted to try to hatch my own just for fun. Just to see what all this is about. Honestly, I'm impatient about my hatching experience and want to jump on it right away, hence buying eggs online

I know that it would be smarter for me to wait until early next year when winter is almost over but really, I can't possibly wait that long to give this experience a shot! So posting a wanted ad on BYC, why didn't I think of that? Duh! Thanks again!!!!!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Do keep in mind that you will need a plan on how to transition chicks outside in colder weather. That's a little trickier. I got two week old silkie chicks last October and figured to let them brood in the house for a few weeks and then move them to the unheated coop at around 6 weeks. About the time I planned on moving them out the weather turned wretched. I ended up keeping them in the house until January. It was dusty, dirty, stinky! They stayed in the house way longer than they should have. I just didn't want to move them out and let them freeze.

I have my last hatch in the bator right now. They should come out in a week. Then I'm shutting it down for winter.

 

[NCchicken]

Yeah, I've thought of that...chickens in the house all winter. Yuck! We don't have bad winters here but it does get cold for a few days in the winter. Actually we got snow twice last year, of course it melted in a day, but still. I live on the coast in south eastern NC. I have a feeling that I will be leaving them in the guest bedroom until about January or so, eventhough that is not ideal for me. I am still going to go for it though. My egerness has rubbed off on my husband and now he's getting all antsy to incubate too.

 

[shesaredroan]

I have the same 'bator, from GQF, got it in May of this year. The 'package' I got included the auto turner with 2 sets of turner trays, one set was for quail eggs and the other set for chicken eggs. The package also included 30 quail eggs for free, which were sent about 10 days after my new 'bator. That way I had time to get it set up and running before the eggs arrived.
They actually sent me 35 eggs and 30 of them hatched. So my first hatching experience went very well!!!

Since then I've ordered chicken hatching eggs from several places.
18 eggs - ($65) - 3 hatched, 2 roos and 1 pullet, sweet bitties, but sure were expensive!!!
18 eggs - ($26) - 5 hatched
12 eggs - ($25) - 8 hatched

I love my Genesis and I love hatching, I've learned a bit about ordering hatching eggs through the mail.........I look forward to the day when I can incubate my own eggs from the backyard.
I'd suggest that you keep your eye on the BYC hatching eggs sale for some reasonably priced eggs that will give you a breed you want.