Need new incubator. Ideas?

[Frizzlett98]

I have right now a Farm Innovators model 2100 still air with a new brand new air fan. This piece of junk killed all of my chicks. I am looking for a new one that works great but isn't too expensive. I have my eye on a Brinsea octagon 24 egg incubator but it's much more than I wanted to spend. I'm 16 so coming up with that money without a job is almost impossible. I might be getting a job with my horseback riding instructor helping with the horses but it might be a little while on that. I don't think I'd be making much but maybe enough to get this one. I could use some advice on incubators that work great but aren't really expensive.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Unless you've found that your Farm Innovators incubator temps are fluctuating, in which case it is junk, I recommend keeping it and investing in a good thermometer. Most thermometers are off enough to kill a clutch.
I highly recommend this one.
http://thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt301wa.html
The Brinsea spot check is very accurate too.
Even an expensive incubator can be off and without a reliable additional thermometer, you never know what's going on.

Even if you ended up getting a nice reliable incubator, the peace of mind of having the temps verified by a guaranteed accurate thermometer will be great.
Get a good thermometer and give the FI another chance.
If its temps are all over the board then you could be right but if they hold steady, it's salvageable.

 

[Frizzlett98]

The temp does hold steady most of the time but it fluctuates a lot after i turn the eggs. The temp goes low and then high and the low and then high for about an hour after.My eggs made it to day 3 one of which made it to day 4. I cracked it thinking it was dead but it wasn't. I've given it 2 chances and I don't think I want to any more.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I understand the frustration and I hate losing a clutch to what may be the incubator's fault. With several incubators, both manufactured and homemade, I know the critical thing to have is a guaranteed accurate thermometer.

 

[Frizzlett98]

Yeah. Mine is pretty accurate. I do need another thermometer anyway. But I'm going to go ahead and get a reliable incubator. And a thermometer lol.

 

[Frizzlett98]

I' hng trouble deciding between the Brinsea mini advanced or the Brinsea 24 egg octagon. They are almost the same price but with the octagon you get a lot more "machine" for your money. I will probably never have 24 eggs to hatch so should I get the mini? I might have more than 7 eggs though.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Another idea is to get the one you want and then if you have more eggs you can do a staggered hatch by starting some a week later in your farm innovators.
Or the other way around, hatch in the FI.
Hatch in whichever is the easiest to clean and disinfect.

 

[Frizzlett98]

That's a good idea but I have to sell my FI in order to get some money to save towards the new one.

 

[Frizzlett98]

I've made my decision! It's the Brindea mini advance. It has everything I could want. Most of the eggs I'll be incubating will be bantam eggs.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sounds like a plan.
My best incubator is a humongous homemade cabinet that I keep having to tweak but I couldn't afford a real cabinet type and I needed to incubate a lot of eggs.