Silkie thread!

What would you guys recommend for an incubator for a total beginner??
I really like my Brinsea. I spent about 3 months reading reviews and talking to people and decided on my Octagon Eco20. I didn't even buy the turner! NO frills, but it works great, and it's no big deal to rock the machine back and forth. You don't have to open the lid to turn eggs. You just rock the machine forward or backward. There are two channels to put water in. You fill up one channel for the first 18 days and then fill up the second channel for the last and lockdown. Doesn't get much easier than that. It says it holds 24 eggs-- and honestly, that's really not that big. Because when it comes time to hatch, I lay them all down sideways and that takes up a LOT of room. Ideally, you'd want to just incubate in the Brinsea and then have another machine to use for hatching. But I do it all in just the one machine. It works fine, but yeah, later on down the road, I can see myself buying another one.

I bought mine for $99! That is really a great deal. First of all, you can combine coupons with Brinsea. Buy it thru their website-- not off eBay or any where else, you won't get that great of a deal, unless it's used. To get it knocked down to around a $100-- go to the Brinsea Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brinsea-Products-Inc/140621339296778
THEN... sign up for their Newsletter at the top. When you do that, they will give you a coupon. Then they give you coupons when they are running specials... like for Mother's Day, or whatever it might be. Don't sign up for that newsletter UNTIL you are ready to buy, because it will expire in a week or so, and that's it. They list all of their coupons there on FB, then you can combine the two and get it for cheaper. Anyway, that's what I did at xmas this year. The thing they get you on is shipping-- they charge like $20. But still, not too bad, and it's a super easy machine, and I love how easy it is to turn manually, and that it's easy to look into. It also holds temperature and humidity REALLY well. I can't believe how fast it comes back to temperature after you lift the lid. Humidity is slower to rise, BUT, you can spike it with a wet paper towel if you need to. I do that all the time.

This is the one I bought: http://www.brinsea.com/products/octagon20eco.htm

I have a picture-- a bad one, that shows just a portion of my machine. (I was mostly taking it to get a pic of my eggs, and the machine happened to be in the way--
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) But it's all I have right now.

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What would you guys recommend for an incubator for a total beginner??
I found this little Brinsea incubator: http://www.brinsea.com/prod-Mini_Eco_manual_10_egg_incubator-229.aspx
Are there other small ones like that out there that I just couldn't find? Around the same price range?
People seem to be praising their Brinseas on this thread.

I also found this one: http://www.amazon.com/9200-1602b-St...Z8W0/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1336440162&sr=8-7
I don't know if this would be something a beginner needs to have but I certainly like the price better. lol

Then of course this is the best price at Murray McMurray, but the incubator is awfully small. I think I'd like something more than 3 eggs worth. And would this one be more for kids?
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/mini_dome_incubator.html


I should probably get of book to go with it for a first timer, no?
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/guide_to_better_hatching.html
My son asked for one for his birthday this month. After some recommendations from here I narrowed it down to the Octogan20 and the Genesis 1588 by hovabator. I went with the Hovabator since it held more eggs. Got mine from McMurray. I had a $15 off coupon
 
Youcant go past Hovabator 1588... These are idiot proof...I love mine they are so easy....put in the eggs...top up water every 2-3 days and presto! Chicks!...they new model 1588 even has digital temp/hygrometer....awesome
 
Youcant go past Hovabator 1588... These are idiot proof...I love mine they are so easy....put in the eggs...top up water every 2-3 days and presto! Chicks!...they new model 1588 even has digital temp/hygrometer....awesome
Idiot proof sounds good!! lol That's probably right up my alley.
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I also have a random question that I thought of today as I was roaming the farm.
What age do the chicks start to eat food after hatching?
Maybe I'm being impatient..or maybe people just missed the question because I posted it with a ton of pictures. lol
 
Maybe I'm being impatient..or maybe people just missed the question because I posted it with a ton of pictures. lol

I'm not completely sure I understand your question. They don't HAVE to eat for up to 72 hours after hatching as the yolk they absorb can carry them for that long. However IME, if food is available, they will eat pretty much immediately. After they hatch, I let them dry out in the incubator for a little while and then if no one else is pipped, I move them to the brooder. They usually find the feeder within minutes of transfer to the brooder and start eating right away.

When my broody hatched chicks, I let her decide when it was time to show them the food.
 
I'm not completely sure I understand your question. They don't HAVE to eat for up to 72 hours after hatching as the yolk they absorb can carry them for that long. However IME, if food is available, they will eat pretty much immediately. After they hatch, I let them dry out in the incubator for a little while and then if no one else is pipped, I move them to the brooder. They usually find the feeder within minutes of transfer to the brooder and start eating right away.

When my broody hatched chicks, I let her decide when it was time to show them the food.
This answered my question. Right now my hens are taking care of all the chicks wonderfully so I'm not worried. I just wanted to know how long the yolk keeps them going for future reference.
All our chicks get a feeder and waterer as soon as the first one hatches and mom can take care of everything else.
Thank you!
 

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