Small incubator suggestions?

[trailhound]

I am planning on writing a grant to get incubators for each of the kindergarten classes at my school. Our plan is that each teacher will hatch out a different kind of bird (ducks, chickens, quail, Guineas etc ), or if that doesn't work out, at least chickens. Can anyone recommend a good reliable small incubator? They don't need to hold a lot of eggs, we are just going for the experience, but I would like to find the most reliable and practical option. We can turn eggs during the week I guess, but after school hours and on the weekends we might have a problem if we have to turn them ourselves. We would like to have something that will hold up for multi-year use as well. The first grade teachers borrowed incubators last year and had a lot of problems that I would like to avoid.

Thanks!
Andrea

 

[Chicabee19]

Wouldn't it be great if each class made their own incubators?

You can use white igloo coolers, or the Coleman plastic type. They can be reused every year.

Do a google search for "homemade incubator" - UTUBE even has videos showing how it's done!

 

[mark3208]

Those "little giant",or hovabator are reliable small incubators,probably gonna run 80 dollars or so for the incubator,and egg turner,which you will need. The hold about 4o eggs ,can purchase them at farm stores such as Tractor Supply Co. or many feed mills,or even easier,online!

 

[Katy]

See if you can get the Hova-bator Genesis 1588 incubator. They're very reliable. I wouldn't trade mine.

 

[deerman]

This lyon tx with turner work great for class room. this was on ebay. find use ones on ebay. not cheap for new.





http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330265001004&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

 

[chickenfanatic]

yup the genesis 1588 no doubt

 

[deerman]

Here is a new one on ebay, these work so good. people with parrot use these. high price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lyon-Turn-X-TX6...ryZ46292QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem





I have one and also a Lyon RX. These I use for parrot eggs. They will last for years.

The Styroform incubator work ok when new. Hard to sanitize and hatch rate drop after a year or two.

 

[Smoky73]

I agree, if your going to try to get a grant from the school to buy a bator, go with something BETTER than a styrafoam, make it worth it. I have never had a styrafoam work excellent for more than a year or two. They Lyon incubators are perfect for schools, with a clear dome to watch everything, and work excellent, year after year. I own three and won't owen anything else ever again.
The zoo around here uses these incubators (modified a bit) for their reptile eggs, so, if the zoos use them, they have to be reliable.

 

[sticks22]

Try buying a very good reliable incubator. Then to keep costs down on you eggs then try to find a local farmer to donate the eggs for the school. Then you could share the bator with the other classes.
The costs of the bator can be offset by selling the newly hatched chicks to the students for a return on the bator. Then next year buy one or two more bators! This way you can see if the students show an intrest in raising chickens. If they dont then to keep their intrest try hatching geese or pheasants or let the class decide, just an idea!

 

[trailhound]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! I had week old chicks in my classroom for a few weeks last year, and they were a big hit. I found a!woman nearby that is willing to donate eggs of many different kinds of poultry/fowl and then take the chicks back when we are done with them- should work out fine once I can make arrangements for incubators. Someone suggested that I contact 4H and see if they have some we can borrow- we will see how it goes.

Andrea