Talk to Me About Incubators

[PintoPasoFino]

Last year after reading how much fun ya'll have with your incubators, I decided to try it for myself. I wasn't sure how much I would follow through with it, so I went totally basic and picked up a Little Giant still air. No fan, no turner, just the bare bones.

I put some shipped eggs in there, as well as some from here at home and got some good hatches. Not so much on the shipped eggs, but hatched almost every egg I set from here, ducks and chickens.

Anyway, I don't mind all the babysitting I have to do to keep that machine where it needs to be, but since now it is year 2 and I am still incubating, I was thinking of taking the next step and getting something more advanced.

What is the next step? I was looking into the Brinsea Octogon 20 Eco. Seems it has a temp regulator in it? That would be nice! Also has a fan I believe and a turner.

Don't want to invest too much either. Just looking for some casual hatching, nothing fancy or more than that.

Thanks!

 

[raimnel]

I have no clue how many eggs either of them hold. Mine holds 24. check it out on my BYC page Egg-U-Bator

 

[Chicken Chat]

I started out with the Little Giant still air too. A year later, I put a fan and a turner in it and used it for 5 years. This winter I looked to upgrade to one that was easier to clean, that syrofoam really holds bacteria. I went all the way with the Brinsea Mini Advanced EX. (It does everything but read them a bedtime story.) It has a fan, turner, electronic temp. control and electronic humidity control. I love it, I only have to touch it to candle the eggs, everthing else self-adjusts, well worth the money and easy to clean. However, the size can be a problem. The turn plate only holds 7 eggs and if all 7 hatch, it gets a bit crowed in there. The size restriction works for me because it keeps me from incubating too many a season since I can't seem to stop myself.

 

[muddstopper]

I have several bators, including the octo 20. I have excellent hatch rates with the brinsea and it is pretty much trouble free. Set it, add a little water ever now and then and remove chicks in 21 days. I would highly recommend getting the auto turner for the octo 20, its worth every penny. The octo 20 will hold 19 large hen eggs, some say they can get more in theirs, I guess my hens just lay larger eggs.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

The brinsea eco 20, all the way!!

It holds temps, is easy to use without a turner (you give the whole unit a quarter roll), is a breeze to clean, and it is plastic (not styrofoam) so it is durable!! I love mine

 

[Chosen Chickens]

Seriously check out the R-Com King Suro incubator.... it holds over 20 eggs, controls temp and humidity and everything and it is way cheaper then the other brands. I just got one or under $300. From what I hear it works great.