The "Mini-Bator" for $20.. waste of $$ or works??? SW Pa...

[crazy huhn]

That thing is the biggest junk on the market!!! There is NO way to get the correct temperature and humidity in that thing with a piece of aluminum foil and a Christmas light bulb.

I ordered one a long time ago and never bothered to hatch, because it was just flimsy. Why do you want to put all your time, money and efford in something like this, just for a big disappointment?
I through it in the trash in less than 1 hr after I received it. Did not want anybody else being disappointed.

I bought a Hovabator, forced air, with egg turner, but you can ask at your local extension office, if they will loan you one for free (resp. a small fee). Tell them it is for a classroom project. Good luck.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Well this is all terribly dissapointing! I was wanting to get a small incubator for my 4-year-old to use, so he can hatch his own funky chickens and quit messing with my bator! I would hate to get an LG or hovabator for him!

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

i got the same one!!! just came in the mail and eggs are on their way...my boyfriends grandma raises chickens and she said she ordered it and its a waste of money she was telling me to send mine back before it even got here....she said she hatched one egg and never used it again...she also said it bearly holds 2 regular eggs let a alone the 3 advertised...but from listening to her rant, it sounded like she just didnt like it because it didnt hold enough eggs....im still excited to try mine as soon as my 3 rir eggs get her...ordered them off of ebay and theyre supposed to be great show birds!

 

[bandm]

I ordered one a long time ago when I was a kid. It never did hatch anything. If you wanted it for your kids, it will just be a big disappointment.

bandm

 

[griffin45]

With only a couple of eggs in an LG you will want to put several small bottles of water in it to maintain a more steady temperature, and make sure that you don't put the LG any where that there is any type of air movement, drafts,ect. Read the instructions and don't set any eggs until you are sure that the temperature is going to hold. What the instructions don't tell you is that you can not plan anything for days 20, 21 and maybe 22. Once they start hatching you can't stop watching! At least I can't. I suppose some others here probably have much better self control than I do, but probably not!

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I bought one, tried twice and it is in the trash.

I have all the parts, now just need the time to build a cooler bator based on ideas from MissPrissy, GopherBoy and Speckled Hen. I am holding off, because as soona s it is built, I will want to put eggs in it and I promised my wife not until February will I start.

 

[chickens4jojo]

Perhaps you could borrow an incubator from your local 4-H? That is what I did the first time I hatched some eggs.

I called our local county extension office & then reached the 4-H there.

It was a nice Hova-Bator and it came with a large tub with a brooder lamp, etc.

It was such a "cheep" way to go, too! And the 4-H people were so helpful as well.

A great egg seller on EBAY told me I could do this & it worked out well.

My only expense was driving to the extension office to pick-up/return the equipment.

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

go for the little gaint at 40.00 its works fine i have 5 of them i bought mine at the feed store for about 38 dollars

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

doesnt it hold something like 50 eggs? i saw that same one tho that held like 24 or 28 or something....also there was an egg turner for $40.....are there any cheaper ones that would work on that one?

 

[jvls1942]

I am not sure that everybody has read all the posts in this topic..
there areat least a half dozen first hand experiences that state what a piece of junk that tiny bator is and still someone is intent on trying one.. why ask for advice if you are not going to read the answers, or if you did read the answers, you do not believe.

I have been doing chickens since 1968.. I do know something .. one thing I do know is that you are not going to get much for your money in an incubator for less than $40.oo
new.. $18.oo is half way there..
If you can really afford to throw away $18.oo then you can afford to add $22.oo more and get a real bator..

I am an old codger with a short fuse..