Wife Got Me An Incubator

[303hunter]

My wife(great girl!)got me an incubator as a surprise. It's a Janoel 48 egg unit with auto egg turning, and says fully automatic. I know nothing about incubators, but it seems nice. What are some opinions?

 

[farnorth]

Some people like them and some people don't. this I do know....you can't trust the temp and humidity readings that it will give you. You will need to get a reliable thermometer and a reliable hygrometer to use with it. This is true of almost any incubator you would buy.

Also, keep the stryofoam insert it came in....most people incubate in the Janoel with the incubator sitting in the bottom Styrofoam to keep the temps more steady.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

My wife(great girl!)got me an incubator as a surprise. It's a Janoel 48 egg unit with auto egg turning, and says fully automatic. I know nothing about incubators, but it seems nice. What are some opinions?

Awe. What a nice wife.

I've heard mixed things as well. It's my belief that as long as you do your own research and ask questions and see what methods others use instead of going by the incubator manuals (for how to incubate humidity percentages and temps) and understand humidity as well as have accurate thermometers, you can have a successful hatch in anything that can keep a steady temp.

Some people like them and some people don't. this I do know....you can't trust the temp and humidity readings that it will give you. You will need to get a reliable thermometer and a reliable hygrometer to use with it. This is true of almost any incubator you would buy.

Also, keep the stryofoam insert it came in....most people incubate in the Janoel with the incubator sitting in the bottom Styrofoam to keep the temps more steady.

xs 2 that's true of most incubator gages as well as a good share of brand new thermometers. Never trust anything unless it's checked for accuracy.
I've seen the same with the packing styrofoam, especially in the winter.

 

[CrzyChknLady81]

Above advice is good-- Just a recommendation on thermometers and hygros....I bought mine in the reptile section of the local petstore...got a nice digital thermometer and hygro for around 50$. Im on my 2nd year with the thermo, its reading is 100% accurate and never fails me ..I not sure how your bator is designed, but I have one with the plastic windows on top and I use the attached suction cup and then I can adjust the height of the thermo so that it is hanging right where the eggs sit, instead of being on the bottom on very top...Best of luck with your new toy!!!

 

[303hunter]

One more question: Even though it's rated for 48 eggs, I'll probably never have more than 12 or so. Will it hurt anything to hatch just a few eggs, or should I sent the incubator back for a smaller model?

 

[lazy gardener]

My wife(great girl!)got me an incubator as a surprise. It's a Janoel 48 egg unit with auto egg turning, and says fully automatic. I know nothing about incubators, but it seems nice. What are some opinions?

You bet she's a great girl! Be sure you wine and dine her well, and do what ever else it takes to rock her world for that one!!!

. It's my belief that as long as you do your own research and ask questions and see what methods others use instead of going by the incubator manuals (for how to incubate humidity percentages and temps) and understand humidity as well as have accurate thermometers, you can have a successful hatch in anything that can keep a steady temp.
xs 2 that's true of most incubator gages as well as a good share of brand new thermometers. Never trust anything unless it's checked for accuracy.
I've seen the same with the packing styrofoam, especially in the winter.

What she said! Especially regarding recommendations for temp and humidity: don't trust the manual! Calibrate your thermometer and hygrometer.

Originally Posted by 303hunter

One more question: Even though it's rated for 48 eggs, I'll probably never have more than 12 or so. Will it hurt anything to hatch just a few eggs, or should I sent the incubator back for a smaller model?


NOOOO! Don't send it back for the smaller model! You can always hatch less eggs in a bigger model, but you can't hatch more eggs in a smaller model! If you're doing a small batch, you might be able to figure out how to get a couple of water bottles in there to add some thermal mass.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

One more question: Even though it's rated for 48 eggs, I'll probably never have more than 12 or so. Will it hurt anything to hatch just a few eggs, or should I sent the incubator back for a smaller model?

Ohhhhh you have not experienced chicken math yet. Never go smaller..... If you haven't been warned yet, let me do it...hatching is ADDICTING!!! My first hatch was only for a homeschool science project. I had no intention of keepinga and raising chicks....they (and the incubator, which I still have) were supposed to go back to my chicken raising sister when we were done. WE are now raising chickens. My oldest ones started laying a couple weeks ago and I have 31 chicks in my brooder and already thinking about the summer hatch I want to do after the 4th of July.....lol
You can fill it up or you can hatch a dozen, doesn't matter.

 

[CrzyChknLady81]

LOLOL --- I just went to TSC today to get another bator--- saw a nice couple with a kid looking at the bins of chicks...Mom says 'oh we could get a couple and have 3 or 4 in the backyard'... I couldn't help but LOL..followed by, 'yeah I started with 6 from here a couple years ago, quickly followed by more, and more and was up to 76 at one point "..They got 12...

But to answer the OP, you can indeed set less, (like above comment, you should always get more...lol) but when I set less than a ful bator, I try to stick the eggs towards the center of the bator and work my way out...

 

[AmyLynn2374]

LOLOL --- I just went to TSC today to get another bator--- saw a nice couple with a kid looking at the bins of chicks...Mom says 'oh we could get a couple and have 3 or 4 in the backyard'... I couldn't help but LOL..followed by, 'yeah I started with 6 from here a couple years ago, quickly followed by more, and more and was up to 76 at one point "..They got 12...

But to answer the OP, you can indeed set less, (like above comment, you should always get more...lol) but when I set less than a ful bator, I try to stick the eggs towards the center of the bator and work my way out...

We were in TSC to get more starter crumbles cause these guys are pigs and a lady had a box with chicks chirping in it. My 7 year old son says, "Are there chicks in the box?" The lady answers yes. He says, "I want to get some." I said "We just hatched 32!!!" The lady and the cashier chuckled, I said, "We literally have 32 chicks in the brooder that are just turning a week old, he's crazy....lol" I think he's as addicted as me!

 

[CrzyChknLady81]

Hehe....my daughter said before we got there that she knew I just wanted another bator so I could hatch out twice as many chicks...I just laughed...

That woman will have a light bulb moment in a few months, as she's comparing breeders or glued to BYC , and realize exactly just what he meant

Re: My User ID ...lol