Which Incubator to Get?

[ClareScifi]

I'd like to hatch some eggs from one hen. Is there an incubator designed to allow you to put one freshly laid fertilized egg in it each day? I have only one hen of the variety whose eggs I'd like to try to hatch, and she lays only one egg a day. She's old-- 4. She still lays at least 5 days a week, though. So it would be staggered hatching. Does such an incubator exist, or do all the eggs you are wanting to hatch have to be placed in the incubator on the same day?

 

[Ridgerunner]

No, the issues you have to overcome with putting an egg in daily are the different humidity requirements, turning, and the chicks that hatch will crawl all over the others and get them filthy dirty which can lead to bacteria getting inside and turning the egg into a rotten egg.

You can easily store eggs for a week without reducing hatchability as long as you don’t keep them in extreme conditions. What you might want to do is set a week’s worth of eggs at a time and buy a separate incubator to use as a hatcher. When you go into lockdown take the eggs out of the incubating incubator and put them in the other that is only used during lockdown and hatch. That’s by far the least stressful way to do it and gives you the greatest chance at success.

 

[ClareScifi]

Thanks, Ridgerunner! I didn't know there wee two types of incubators! I've never had an incubator, so I'm not up on all the latest incubator technologies and such. Maybe I could buy these for my little friend who is 10, who wants to start a chicken raising business, and she could experiment with Esther's eggs for me. What brands would be easiest and most successful for a child to use? Or for me to use?

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are more than two types of incubators. I’m not talking about types, I’m talking about how you use them. They can be used for incubation only. They be used as a hatcher only. They can be used for both incubating and hatching. You are wanting to use them for staggered hatching. That’s when it gets more complicated and why I suggested two separate incubators.

Some incubators hold three eggs. Some commercial incubators hold 120,000 eggs. There are a lot in between. How many eggs you might hatch at one time is a consideration.

Some are easier to operate than others. Different incubators handle humidity control differently. Some are a lot easier to adjust the temperature settings than others. Some require a lot of work to keep them on target, some are almost a set it and forget it. Generally the ones that are easiest to use cost more.

How many times are you going to use it in a year? If you’re like me and only hatch once or twice a year, you may not need a really good one. If it is hatching constantly you should get a better one.

I can’t tell you which is best for your unique situation. There are way too many variables to know what is best for you. What I suggest you do is look at how many eggs you might hatch at a time and how often you are going to use it. Then look at the ones in that size range and make a decision.

Good luck.

 

[beal]

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/221369607443?cmd=VIDESC&gxo=true

Maybe something like this automatically turner

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[beal]

Or like this all depends how much you want to spend time

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/251320531048?nav=SEARCH

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[beal]

Money

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[ClareScifi]

Sorry, I had a long phone call come in. Those look perfect. I'd probably only use the incubator just this once. So maybe the smaller, cheaper one, if it is as easy as the bigger one to use? How much does 66 pounds translate to in US dollars? This is exciting! And then I guess there would be shipping expense. I wonder how long it would take to get it in the mail?

 

[ClareScifi]

It appears they don't ship to the United States?

 

[beal]

Just go on ebay.com and type in automatic egg incubator

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