Which Incubator to buy?

[what did I do]

I would look at the R-com incubators and a Heat Plate for brooding. We just got a R-com 20 to hatch away from home, right now it is at the nursing home, and it is the best. The styrofoam incubators tend to collect germs after awhile, like a year, and your hatch rate drops.

 

[TattooedMama]

I had an old round hovabator, a newer (well newer than the round!) rectangular hovabator, both of which I used 20 years ago and then again recently. They aren't bad if you are paying attention. Hatch rate isn't spectacular, but they work. (Short of carrying them around in your shirt, this is incubating "the hard way".)

Then I bought the incukit, because I needed more space. I put it together, and had a hard time regulating the temp and humidity. I am a DIY'er normally, but when the eggs are expensive, like your chocolate Orps, it's frustrating to not be able to get it just right. It wasn't consistent enough for me.

Then I bought Farm Innovators rectangular Styrofoam forced air incubator and their turner. It has a thermometer on the top, but it isn't necessarily accurate. The random 106 degree spike that was listed above happened to me too. I had purchased (2) of them and one seems to be better regulated than the other, but still......

So I bought the Brinsea Octagon 20 and the cradle(turner). I can't tell you how much easier it is to keep track of! The cooling cycle is something that the others don't do, the power failure and temperature alarms are nice to have, and when you have to open it for whatever reason, the inside temp is right back up to where it should be faster than any other that I have used.

I have left a thermometer inside in all 4 corners and in the center at different times, and the incubator is "dead on" what the thermometer on top says it is. The humidity is generally pretty easy to regulate with a vent on the face of the incubator. It's also much easier to clean than the Styrofoam ones. Hard molded plastic. The design is a better footprint, too. I currently have 2 on my kitchen counter and still have room to work.

I hunted high and low (ebay, amazon, Jeffers Livestock....) I ended up purchasing directly from Brinsea as I had signed up for their email specials, and it went on sale in at the end of the month. By searching "Brinsea coupon" I also was able to received free shipping.

I like my Octagon 20 so much that I bought another one. (needless to say, I couldn't afford to go to the movies for a while, never mind popcorn! but I am not sorry one bit!)

Thanks for the advice! It's nice to hear from someone who has tried several models and has a good variation of experience to chime in with. The chocolate orpingtons are mainly what I have in mind for hatching eggs, eventually some B/B/S hatching eggs as well from The Fancy Chick line (I have spoken with a BYC member who expects to have some soon). It is hard to choose an incubator; I don't want to throw away money. It's why I am tempted to buy the brinsea as it just seems to have the most consistent positive reviews-it's a safe bet and almost a guaranteed good investment which is as good as it gets I think.

 

[TattooedMama]

I would look at the R-com incubators and a Heat Plate for brooding. We just got a R-com 20 to hatch away from home, right now it is at the nursing home, and it is the best. The styrofoam incubators tend to collect germs after awhile, like a year, and your hatch rate drops.

Do you use the heat plate in addition to a brooder light or in place of one? I am not really familiar with these. I have heard less about the Rcom but noticed it was mentioned in an old thread about being a great brand.

 

[TattooedMama]

Just had great success with my new HovaBator 1583 with the auto turner!

My first try was with a Farm Innovators brand which had a faulty thermostat and spiked
up in the 106 degree range just randomly and never would hold steady. Maybe just 1 lemon.

This HOVABATOR was worry-free!!! I highly recommend it... The proof is in the live chicks!

Aww how sweet! I can't wait to hatch some babies!! I just got a shipment in from Taylor Hobby Farms today of B/B/S orpington babies and I'm in love already

At this point I think the Hova-bator and Brinsea are my top two choices but am also considering the Incuview. Gotta talk it out with my hubby and see what he thinks too.
.

 

[TattooedMama]

Thanks for the input

 

[Chas73]

I also used the little giant with egg turner but could never get the temp and humidity to where I wanted it and have it hold there. After a few bad hatch's I decided to buy the rcom pro 20, and I am glad I did. It is pretty much set it and come back on day 21 and watch your chicks hatch. My hatch rates are between 90-95% always. They are a little pricy but you don't have to baby sit them worrying about holding temp and humidity. Everything is automatic and it even stops on day 18 from turning your eggs, lowers the temp to 99 and raises humidity to 65%. Great incubator.

 

[DeGarmom]

I had looked at the RComs, and they are expensive. I decided that I would have to sell a ton of chicks to justify using it, and when I looked at how short hatching season is here in Minnesota, the Brinsea made more sense. It would take a couple of years of constant use to pay for itself (for what I need it for)


The "heat plates": Brinsea makes 2 models (I am sure there are more on the market though) called "EcoGlow". They are supposed to be safer and more efficient, but they don't give them away, either. (next year, maybe...... sigh!)

 

[what did I do]

My R-com 20 was only $400 or was it 300 I don't remember right now. For hatching away from home it made better since. You could pay for one in one year by selling chicks. The Brinsea was my second choice.

 

[Divannah]

I bought an R-com 20 and it was amazing. The entire top is clear for viewing. It auto turns amazingly well. I filled the water very three days. It was my first time so I was candling nearly every day and sometimes more, but it brings the heat and humidy back to your settings within a minute. It was amazing and I had an extremely high hatch rate. It is digital and does everything you need. There are studies i have read that show the hen determines the sex, not the rooster, and that incubation temp plays a role, although it is only by one degree. I don't know if its true, but out of 20 eggs, I hatched 75% hens.

The r-com is pricey, yes, but it'll last for years, is very sanitary, and all comes apart easily for cleaning. The parts are all plastic and was a breeze to clean and disinfect. I searched for months on incubators, and feel I found the best price out there for the R-com.

If you or any reader is interested, get the best priced R-com 20 from Steven Rericha. His email address is [email protected]. I am happy to endorse him here since he was very easy to contact, quick to respond to my emails, courteous, and good to work through all around.

The R-com is from Korea and ships directly to you from the manufacturer and takes about two weeks. Mine arrived in a timely manner and in mint condition. They also make the King Soru but the R-com 20 is hands down the better model. They also make a larger one that hold 50 eggs.

You can change the temp and humidity easily, and turn off the egg turner the last three days. Also, the egg turning can be set for every one, two or three hours, and it plays a cute song when it turns, which we made up words to and sang to our chicks. It was nice hearing it play every hour, reminding us our little, living chicks were turning over. The music can be turned off if you prefer.

There is a YouTube video some British guy posted that is short and helpful.

 

[TattooedMama]

I bought an R-com 20 and it was amazing. The entire top is clear for viewing. It auto turns amazingly well. I filled the water very three days. It was my first time so I was candling nearly every day and sometimes more, but it brings the heat and humidy back to your settings within a minute. It was amazing and I had an extremely high hatch rate. It is digital and does everything you need. There are studies i have read that show the hen determines the sex, not the rooster, and that incubation temp plays a role, although it is only by one degree. I don't know if its true, but out of 20 eggs, I hatched 75% hens.

The r-com is pricey, yes, but it'll last for years, is very sanitary, and all comes apart easily for cleaning. The parts are all plastic and was a breeze to clean and disinfect. I searched for months on incubators, and feel I found the best price out there for the R-com.

If you or any reader is interested, get the best priced R-com 20 from Steven Rericha. His email address is [email protected]. I am happy to endorse him here since he was very easy to contact, quick to respond to my emails, courteous, and good to work through all around.

The R-com is from Korea and ships directly to you from the manufacturer and takes about two weeks. Mine arrived in a timely manner and in mint condition. They also make the King Soru but the R-com 20 is hands down the better model. They also make a larger one that hold 50 eggs.

You can change the temp and humidity easily, and turn off the egg turner the last three days. Also, the egg turning can be set for every one, two or three hours, and it plays a cute song when it turns, which we made up words to and sang to our chicks. It was nice hearing it play every hour, reminding us our little, living chicks were turning over. The music can be turned off if you prefer.

There is a YouTube video some British guy posted that is short and helpful.

$400 is out of my price range. As Degarmom said, I couldn't really justify buying one that expensive. I am just starting out and while I hope to be able to sell chicks, I would want to see how well that goes prior to investing so much in an incubator. Even then, I would imagine an incubator with a higher capacity might better serve me if chick sales were going well. I just spent waay too much on my house for that big of a purchase right now. Thanks for the info though!!