Once again I would like to know from the larger breeders what is the best incubator for peafowl eggs

[GulfstreamGal1]

Hello again I am still stuck on which cabinet incubator to buy. i had no idea that I would be getting fertile eggs from what were supposed to be juveniles so I hastily purchase Hatching Time's CT-60 and Ct-180. I made so many newbie mistakes it is embarassing. Together the two Hatching Times hold 192 Peafowl eggs. My dilemma is that everyone loves the GQF 1502 Sportsman model. HOWEVER, theur website says it only holds 36-45 peafowl eggs. Breeders pkease tell me if that is true because that is hard to believe. I also have a Brinsea Ovation 56 EX.

So can any of you old timers tell me why I need a GQF and how many peafowl eggs it holds?

thank you in advance guys!

 

[casportpony]

We have an RCOM Maru
https://www.strombergschickens.com/...rs-for-eggs/cabinet/rcom-maru-deluxe-max-380/

 

[Huntmaster]

thank you Huntmaster!

where do you live and what breeds do you have?

Ohio here I have many different varieties of heritage turkeys, ducks, geese, quail. No peafowl yet anyways

 

[casportpony]

I do.

That is a typo. I was starting to type "I do not use the bottom, I just use the three racks."

 

[ChicksnMore]

I don't hatch in large quantities, but I have raised peas for a long time... however many years I've been with BYC. I also use Rcoms and really like them. Yes they do automatically control humidity. I get a nearly 100% hatch rate with fresh eggs, 99.5 temp and 60% humidity. Change any of the parameters and the hatch rate changes too.

 

[KsKingBee]

A few years ago there was a blind national survey of peafowl breeders where all results were anonymous, no one could know who was participating and only those in the study were given the end results. All factors were calculated into the study, location, male-to-female ratios, age, cracked and or broken eggs, clean, washed, dirty, broken off the roost, and much more. One of our members here who does not post anymore was involved and told me much of what was released. Large producers were very happy if they had a 40% hatch rate. The only time I could ever say I had a 100% hatch rate is when I only counted the birds that hatched. To be truthful to oneself you must count every egg even the ones that you know better than to set. Your best results will be with a broody hen, no artificial incubation is going to outdo nature but even then you will run into problems with other birds in the pen disrupting the process. You will hatch just as many chicks with a 1:3 ratio as you will with a 1:4 or 5 ratio. Social harmony is a big factor in that as well. The largest breeder in Tejas, maybe in the US told me it is not the number of eggs you gather to set or even the hatch rate that is important but the number of chicks that survive to sell that is important.

There are so many factors to consider none of us get it right or peas would be just as cheap as a $2. chicken.

To answer your hatcher question; I have three hatchers, Brinsea 380, Lehy 416 redwood, and a Brinsea hatcher. The breeders that honestly told you they have a 40% hatch rate in the GQF are doing well with them but are spending a lot of time turning eggs and watching the humidity. That is extra time I don't want to invest when the auto humidity control will allow you to do other things like be gone for a day or two without worrying too much.

 

[GulfstreamGal1]

From what I researched the CT60 will hold 24 pea eggs and the CT180 will hold 72 for a total of 96 pea eggs for the two together?

That is interesting. My incubators and instruction manuals are put away and I got those numbers directly from Hatching Time customer Service.

 

[Huntmaster]

That is interesting. My incubators and instruction manuals are put away and I got those numbers directly from Hatching Time customer Service.

This is what website says.

 

[GulfstreamGal1]

thank you Huntmaster!

Welcome to BYC @GulfstreamGal1

where do you live and what breeds do you have?

 

[casportpony]

Hi there @casportpony! if you dont mind a couple of questions... How many peafowl eggs does this hold? Also does it have automatic humidity control? and last, how is your hatch rate with this one? Thank you for responding!!

Let me go look!