What incubator is the best buy for a newbie hatcher?

[bauerdog]

So I am thinking of pulling the trigger on getting an incubator. I would like a "set it and forget it" type. Ok with spending a couple hundred, but only for a good one. Are there any that don't require a bunch of tinkering?

 

[wannahomestead]

Sub'd to see responses as i'm still looking for an incubator as well. It's getting to be about that time, and I'm getting impatient

 

[mixedUPturk]

Welcome!!

I absolutly my Brinsea octogon, with the turning cradle it is awesome at "set and forget!" Theyre on the pricy side, but the hatch rates are really reliable! Ive hatched very well and im still new at this. I know of quite a few people that have invested in them in the last six months. I got mine secondhand but from the company-- They even offer some type of guarentee! Of course always check any incubators temperature and humidity gauges for accuarcy!

Good luck on your quest for hatchlings!

 

[bauerdog]

Thanks! I was over on the trader Joe's hatching thread and someone got an awesome hatchrate one brinsea octagon 40. Looking like it is at the top of the list right now

 

[mixedUPturk]

Thanks! I was over on the trader Joe's hatching thread and someone got an awesome hatchrate one brinsea octagon 40. Looking like it is at the top of the list right now

 

[GodofPecking]

hatchrate has nothing to do with brand, it has to do with the operator preparing the eggs correctly and operating the incubator correctly which includes automatic ones. You need to read up on hatching first, sally sunshine does a nice instruction page you should download and read a few times.

Anything advertised is not worth buying. Golden rule.

There are generic kinds of 112 egg auto incubators on fleabay for $100-180 and with post they will be about 200-250 or so. A lot come up as being located in Australia, but they are not made there, so the same thing is available from the country of origin and should be able to be landed in the usa for the same money.

112 should be about what a home poultry hobbyist should want. Do not add extra eggs to an incubator once it has started running.

 

[GodofPecking]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

Get a handyman to build you your own incubator. Start with an old fridge, that way it will cost next to nothing in materials and labor even though it has massive capacity. It will also cost next to nothing to run. Only a fraction of the energy consumption of commercial models.

 

[Naser]

I only know one incubator
R-com King Suro 20.

It takes 24 chicken eggs

It is really fire and forget.
I put the eggs on day one and forget about it for 18 days.
In the beginning of day 19 I reduce the temperature from 37.5 to 37 and increase the humidity and stop the turning.
Then I take the chicks out when they are ready.
I am getting very good results with it.

 

[wannahomestead]

hatchrate has nothing to do with brand, it has to do with the operator preparing the eggs correctly and operating the incubator correctly which includes automatic ones. You need to read up on hatching first, sally sunshine does a nice instruction page you should download and read a few times.

Anything advertised is not worth buying. Golden rule.

There are generic kinds of 112 egg auto incubators on fleabay for $100-180 and with post they will be about 200-250 or so. A lot come up as being located in Australia, but they are not made there, so the same thing is available from the country of origin and should be able to be landed in the usa for the same money.

112 should be about what a home poultry hobbyist should want. Do not add extra eggs to an incubator once it has started running.

I've read that the ebay incubators are death traps, which is too bad because the price point is attractive.


Edited by Staff

 

[bauerdog]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

Get a handyman to build you your own incubator. Start with an old fridge, that way it will cost next to nothing in materials and labor even though it has massive capacity. It will also cost next to nothing to run. Only a fraction of the energy consumption of commercial models.

Thank you for the link. My handyman would be extremely leary of making me an incubator with such a large capacity

. He feels the chicken population around here would explode. I, on the other hand would be ecstatic for a large capacity incubator. All the threads on here with people constantly tinkering with the settings make me want to start with an automatic incubator