Just a rant.
I've always liked the styrofoam incubators or should I say the styrofoam Hovabators. I had my first some 40 years ago. Over the years I've had other incubators, home made, cabinet style, etc but I've always had the best luck with the Hovabators. Even when hatching larger scale I'd still use them for hatchers
I've had different brands and it has always seemed the little giants were junk. Years passed I'd lost a few hatches to temp spikes with them. I'd swore them off and said never again.
Well after a second hovabator decided to give out I thought I was in luck when I saw an incubator at auction. Well can't say I saw it cause it was in a box labeled hovabator incubator.
Used twice, like new condition.
After paying $17 and getting home I opened the box and it was a little giant not hovabator.
It was a newer version with a different thermostat and heating element then the ones I previously used.
Against my better judgement I plugged it in for a few days and monitored it. It seemed to be pretty steady so deciding it being a newer model I should give it a go and used it as a hatcher.
I put the first batch in and waited. 39 good eggs went in and yesterday late morning the first hatched. By bedtime there were a dozen or more and at least that many more pipped and zipping.
So this morning I get up and hurry to peak in. As I look all I see is dead chicks. I look at my thermometer and its reading 111° pop it open and find 2 chicks up and standing. 2 still alive but looking very bad off and a couple dozen chicks scattered around dead.
Like I said I should of never trusted that cr@p brand. I'd lost many chicks before with them but that was always while still in the shells. Really brings it to life when you see the lifeless and dead chicks right there when it should of been time to move a bunch of chicks to the brooder and start admiring what I got in that hatch.
Did I mention I despise little giant incubators?
I've always liked the styrofoam incubators or should I say the styrofoam Hovabators. I had my first some 40 years ago. Over the years I've had other incubators, home made, cabinet style, etc but I've always had the best luck with the Hovabators. Even when hatching larger scale I'd still use them for hatchers
I've had different brands and it has always seemed the little giants were junk. Years passed I'd lost a few hatches to temp spikes with them. I'd swore them off and said never again.
Well after a second hovabator decided to give out I thought I was in luck when I saw an incubator at auction. Well can't say I saw it cause it was in a box labeled hovabator incubator.
Used twice, like new condition.
After paying $17 and getting home I opened the box and it was a little giant not hovabator.
It was a newer version with a different thermostat and heating element then the ones I previously used.
Against my better judgement I plugged it in for a few days and monitored it. It seemed to be pretty steady so deciding it being a newer model I should give it a go and used it as a hatcher.
I put the first batch in and waited. 39 good eggs went in and yesterday late morning the first hatched. By bedtime there were a dozen or more and at least that many more pipped and zipping.
So this morning I get up and hurry to peak in. As I look all I see is dead chicks. I look at my thermometer and its reading 111° pop it open and find 2 chicks up and standing. 2 still alive but looking very bad off and a couple dozen chicks scattered around dead.
Like I said I should of never trusted that cr@p brand. I'd lost many chicks before with them but that was always while still in the shells. Really brings it to life when you see the lifeless and dead chicks right there when it should of been time to move a bunch of chicks to the brooder and start admiring what I got in that hatch.
Did I mention I despise little giant incubators?
Poor babies.
