What is a good incubator to get?!

[Chicken Girl]

I want one for my B-day in March, so which one should i ask for? No higher than $100 and holds at least 30 eggs. Oh and the easyst to operate! Thanks!!!!



Chicken Girl

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Your $100 limits you - have you done a search for homemade bators? I know that some have had great success with them. Miss Prissy for one!

 

[panner123]

With a hundred dollars you can get about 10 good incubators, they are called silkie hens. But if you only want one, check craigslist in your area.
Sometimes you can get lucky and find a good one there. If you are set on a new one, the amount limits you to a Little Gaint and a turner for it.
Easy to operate, NO. Do they work, YES. You will need to spend some time learning how to use it. I have a number of them that I place in classrooms for the students to use. Under the conditions, I still have a 85% hatch rate, using my own eggs. When I hatch out my eggs at home the rate increases to above 90%. This is not counting the infertile eggs. Miss Prissy's home made bator works great if you want to save some money for eggs. Oh I forgot, with the 10 silkie hens, you can hatch out about 100 eggs.

 

[bigdawg]

hova bator. easy to operate. mine has fan and turner. love it.

 

[Illia]

I'm using a Lil Giant Incubator - Still Air. It was far under $100, and you can get an egg turner for it too. It holds 46 eggs, which would work great. What I don't know of it is how great hatchability goes on it. My eggs are in the process are not there yet - But in the mean time they're doing pretty fine.

 

[Gonzo]

hover bator. look it up on amazon. I've found them to have good prices.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

My first was a Little Giant Still air with turner. I think I payed about $90 for both of them new. My first 2 hatches were bad, temp kept fluctuating. After that I installed a pc fan for $7 and my hatch rate increased. It was very hard for me to keep the temp steady at first, but once I got it to stay, I didn't have to touch the knob again....which is VERY VERY touchy. Once I installed the fan, the temp stayed more steady and I got a better hatch. Last fall I bought the Genesis 1588 with turner for about $150 (i think? cant remember) and I think its well worth the extra money. The temp is pre-set with the bator and the big windows make it easier to see your eggs. It also has a fan. I like my Genesis better than my LG and think its worth the extra money, but I wouldn't part with my LG anytime soon. I still use it.

 

[happytxchick]

I have a new HovaBator still-air w/egg turner that I got off of eBay for $89.98 (that includes the turner and the shipping was free). It is easy operation, and I can see the chicks forming when I candle the eggs, so I know it's working. It was a "Buy It Now" deal from discountpetsupply in GA. I bet they still have more available if you search for it on eBay. Happy Shopping!

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
I bought mine over 15 years ago---still use it

 

[TriciaHowe]

If you could scrap up a few more dollars a 1588 (digital thermostat) is well worth it... I hand turn my eggs now instead of using my turner. I can fit more eggs that way

My 1st incubator was a HB still air with a turner that I bought used at an auction for $10. Worked great but you did have to watch the temps carefully to avoid dips and spikes.
Good luck with whatever you get