New to cabinet incubators: questions!

[Storybook Farm]

I had a great time hatching in Incuview hatchers (2 of them) this spring. I am thinking of stepping up to a cabinet incubator, and looking at a Sportsman 1502 (which includes a hatch drawer). First, if anyone has used this, or loves a different cabinet incubator, can you take a moment to share details of why you chose/like/dislike your cabinet incubator?

I have a question: I read in the Sportsman description that you can run what I would call a staggered hatch... to wit, you set one tray one week, and another the next, etc., and your hatches are weekly. Since I'm just stepping up, I would not fill a cabinet incubator in one week, since I don't have enough layers, so I would want to run staggered hatches. So, my question is about humidity: it seems to be all one environment in there. In my Incuview, I raised the humidity in days 18-21. Do you not do this with cabinet incubation?

 

[Tabasco Jack]

I only incubate in the cabinet. I still hatch in the styrofoam ones. Makes cleanup and control of humidity easier.

 

[feedman77]

I use a 1502. Bought it this spring. Been pretty much running since January.

You can do staggered hatched in the cabinet. Moving trays weekly is a good way to keep track of hatching. But I incubate turkey,chicken,quail and pheasant at the same time. I put the hatch a batch app. On my phone. The only time I hatched in my cabinet was when a tray of Turkey's hatched early.

I do most of my hatching in tabletop styros bators. 1588 genesis.

That way I don't have to worry about humidity changes for lockdown. Also the dust and dander in the fans.

Just makes keeping the cabinet clean easier.

I can't comment on dickeys cabinets but I hear they are top of the line also.

I have not got them set up yet but I just purchased 2 1202 sportsman. They are older but should work as good as the 1502 just not digital.

Just be aware that the feeling to keep the cabinet full will hit. I have probably averaged 90 percent hatch rates with it. That equates to a lot of babies.

 

[Storybook Farm]

Thanks, all... So, each of my Incuviews allows me to set 27... I normally set 27, candle and discard 4-6 before lockdown, and then have one or two not make it out alive. So, that's about 18 or so max for the hatch.

The Incuview gets CROWDED so I usually end up removing the first 10 or so hatched after 24 hours or so, and that violates LOCK down. Sigh. But, I get better overall results removing those first 10 chicks than when I left them all there for a 2-day hatch... which reminds me: do cabinets give a more even hatch... like, in only 24 hours instead of 48? I've always chalked my long hatches up to spotty heat within the Incuview during the first 18 days... even though I try to move the eggs around the 'bator during candling.

 

[Storybook Farm]

Just be aware that the feeling to keep the cabinet full will hit. I have probably averaged 90 percent hatch rates with it. That equates to a lot of babies.

I plan to sell day-olds, mostly, not raise them all myself, though some will be kept for flock renewal/breeding and culling process.

 

[feedman77]

My last Turkey hatch took 3 days but I had a lot of different sized eggs.

But for the most part almost all hatched within 24 hours of first to last.

 

[feedman77]

I plan to sell day-olds, mostly, not raise them all myself, though some will be kept for flock renewal/breeding and culling process.

I tried to set on Wed of Thursday's to have chicks for the weekend. But the market was up and down. Sometimes had more interest than had chicks then had times when I almost couldn't give them away.

But I have a few small animal auctions close by so I could always get rid of excess chicks when the brooders were full.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Thanks, all... So, each of my Incuviews allows me to set 27... I normally set 27, candle and discard 4-6 before lockdown, and then have one or two not make it out alive. So, that's about 18 or so max for the hatch.

The Incuview gets CROWDED so I usually end up removing the first 10 or so hatched after 24 hours or so, and that violates LOCK down. Sigh. But, I get better overall results removing those first 10 chicks than when I left them all there for a 2-day hatch... which reminds me: do cabinets give a more even hatch... like, in only 24 hours instead of 48? I've always chalked my long hatches up to spotty heat within the Incuview during the first 18 days... even though I try to move the eggs around the 'bator during candling.

I've never really thought about the eggs hatching closer together. I pretty much go 36 hours after the first one hatches unless it's a really early one or I have several left and they are pipping. I did make some dividers to go in the styrofoam incubators and that seems to help with the chicks running wild. I made it from 1/4" hardware cloth and zip ties. Made a perimeter square and then divided it into 4 quadrants.

 

[Storybook Farm]

Been researching and thinking. Seems like Styrofoam incubators ( or even cooler ones) don't give you that much more space than my two Incuview incubators. At $180 a pop, I sure don't want to get more incubators. Does anyone use cabinet hatchers?

 

[WVduckchick]

Been researching and thinking. Seems like Styrofoam incubators ( or even cooler ones) don't give you that much more space than my two Incuview incubators. At $180 a pop, I sure don't want to get more incubators. Does anyone use cabinet hatchers?

With more hatching in rotations, it seems you could still use your Incuviews for smaller hatches, just more often!