Questions on incubators

[JustMe]

My sister gave me one a few years ago, but I ended up selling it because at the time I considered being sustainable meant having a broody hen to do all the work..........and at the time I had been lucky enough to have a few. My best & most reliable hen started sitting at 6 months old and would do so every 3 to 4 months like clockwork. Unfortunately I became to dependent on her. She has decided to retire, with her last hatch back in August of last year.....and nobody else is looking like they're interested in taking up the slack.

So now I'm considering getting an incubator that is big enough to hatch chicken & turkey eggs, with an egg turner, temp & humidity control and not cost a fortune. Hopefully around $50, but in todays crazy that may be impossible.

Any suggestions for a good bator, without a huge cost???What do you have? How well does it work? What do you have to do as far as input effort? I'm hoping for a 'set it & forget it' sort of thing without much input from me.

 

[Amish Heart]

Mine is not a set it and forget about it. It has to be turned three times a day and humidity has to be adjusted and it only holds 25-28 chicken eggs (or 16 turkey eggs) at a time. It is about $100. I like it so well, I got another one just like it.
Maybe see what Tractor Supply has?

 

[goshengirl]

If you like what you have, please share names. (I'm in the market, too.)

 

[Amish Heart]

I've got the Brinsea Octagon Eco

 

[JustMe]

TSC didn't have any when I was there today for some feed. I also stopped at another feed store and they only had one incubator for $129, but I think it was only for chickens, though it was pretty good sized.


Checking on Amazon and they have one that can hatch quail, chicken, duck, goose and turkey eggs, and is easy to use but an odd brand Apdo for $68.99. I need to think about this


Apdo Egg Incubator, 9-35 Eggs Fully Automatic Poultry Hatcher Machine, Led Candler Automatic Egg Turner Temperature Control, Chicken Incubators for Hatching Eggs, Chicken Quail Duck Goose Turkey: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

 

[Hooch]

I've heard good results from farm innovations incubators.
I regret buying a fancy incubator off amazon..humidity control, temp and egg Turner
It's a peice if crap . I'll take a pic of it tomorrow so if you see one like it..dont waste your money.
I have a small one ..I'll have to take a pic tomorrow..but I've hatched many live chicks from.
It's worth it to have a reliable incubator. Even with my smaller but good one I have to check the eggs so they dont end up bunching up at one end because of the Turner.

 

[JustMe]

I've heard good results from farm innovations incubators.
I regret buying a fancy incubator off amazon..humidity control, temp and egg Turner
It's a peice if crap . I'll take a pic of it tomorrow so if you see one like it..dont waste your money.
I have a small one ..I'll have to take a pic tomorrow..but I've hatched many live chicks from.
It's worth it to have a reliable incubator. Even with my smaller but good one I have to check the eggs so they dont end up bunching up at one end because of the Turner.

yes please, I'd like to see it. .BUT does it also do larger eggs, like geese & turkeys???

 

[TeeJ]

I've got the Little Giant from TSC ( www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/little-giant-still-air-incubator ) w/the chicken rails and ordered the forced air kit off of Amazon. ( www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHS7XI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). Ended up being about $150 altogether. It'll do 36 chicken eggs at once, and I imagine it would work for turkey just fine. It works pretty well, except I don't think the humidity sensor is accurate at all. I use a couple of extra $5 hygrometers ( www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QC7JRDP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) nestled right in with the eggs and take the average. I like it because all you have to do is keep an eye on the humidity - it takes care of the rest. I have found being Styrofoam it will leak a bit, but I put some squares of old towel in the bottom to hold the moisture and that seems to do the trick.

I also have a smaller one I started out with - holds about 9 chickens eggs, and the comments say it will hold turkey as well. ( www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KD75VHW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) I paid $60 when I got it, but it's $75 now. It does a great job,, the only thing I don't like about it is the temperature is in Celsius, so I have to keep a sticky not on top of it with the acceptable temp range. Being plastic it doesn't leak at all, which is nice.

 

[TeeJ]

I don't see the need that I'd even need to do large quantities at a time, but this video on how to build one for $60 that will do 80 chicken eggs at a time out of insulation panels is interesting:

 

[JustMe]

I don't see the need that I'd even need to do large quantities at a time, but this video on how to build one for $60 that will do 80 chicken eggs at a time out of insulation panels is interesting:

I wouldn't need anything that big either. Just something small to do a few eggs to keep my flock going.

I started watching the video, but when he was going thru the supplies and alot of them were having to do with electrical I had to stop. He's probably fine and knows what he's talking about and all that good stuff.......but me & electricity don't really get along too well. I blame it on grandpa's electric fence when I was little

 

[goshengirl]

Another thought that comes to my mind is "made in the USA" (since that's where I live) vs. made anywhere else. Just thinking in terms of being able to get parts over the long-haul.

 

[Hooch]

yes please, I'd like to see it. .BUT does it also do larger eggs, like geese & turkeys???

My small incubator does larger eggs like my turkeys. My larger incubator does both. Including killing my eggs..I'll get pics.
Neither are the farm innovations brand..that is the brand of incubator I've head does a good job consistently with small to large eggs and will likely be the next incubator I purchase.

 

[Hooch]

This is the good but small incubator ..and I'm realizing it doesn't sport a brand on it.
Sorry..these are turkey eggs in it.

 

[JustMe]

My small incubator does larger eggs like my turkeys. My larger incubator does both. Including killing my eggs..I'll get pics.
Neither are the farm innovations brand..that is the brand of incubator I've head does a good job consistently with small to large eggs and will likely be the next incubator I purchase.

I've also heard Kebonix(?) may be a good brand, But I'll be doing more researching before jumping in.

 

[JustMe]

This is the good but small incubator ..and I'm realizing it doesn't sport a brand on it.
Sorry..these are turkey eggs in it.

Now that looks cool & doable. I am guessing for smaller eggs, you'd add another turner thingy in the bottom??? And what about water/humidity??? Just pour some in the bottom??? The wires inside would be temp & humidity sensors????

 

[Hooch]

This is the fancy POS I bought off amazon by HHO ? It has killed more eggs than hatched. I took out the auto egg Turner in it. I think that is part of the problem for killing my eggs.

 

[JustMe]

This is the fancy POS I bought off amazon by HHO ? It has killed more eggs than hatched. I took out the auto egg Turner in it. I think that is part of the problem for killing my eggs.

Yikes, thanks for the heads up on that one.

 

[Hooch]

Now that looks cool & doable. I am guessing for smaller eggs, you'd add another turner thingy in the bottom??? And what about water/humidity??? Just pour some in the bottom??? The wires inside would be temp & humidity sensors????

Those are turkeys eggs...it has been reliable with turkey quail duck n chicken eggs. You have to add water and if the eggs bunch up you have to check them n spread them out. I do this 2 times a day. It has a temp sensor n setting and egg Turner.

 

[JustMe]

Another thought that comes to my mind is "made in the USA" (since that's where I live) vs. made anywhere else. Just thinking in terms of being able to get parts over the long-haul.

Over the long haul, my goal is to get a few more broodies that don't insist they are entitled to retire or take a vacation whenever THEY want. You're only allowed to do that when there is another broody available

 

[JustMe]

Those are turkeys eggs...it has been reliable with turkey quail duck n chicken eggs. You have to add water and if the eggs bunch up you have to check them n spread them out. I do this 2 times a day. It has a temp sensor n setting and egg Turner.

OK, should be easy enough. Just in case, it does come with clear instructions???


Also, from my understanding......the last 2 or 3(?) days are called 'lockdown' and the eggs are no longer turned??? And NO messing with the incubator at all, like opening it or anything????

 

[TeeJ]

OK, should be easy enough. Just in case, it does come with clear instructions???


Also, from my understanding......the last 2 or 3(?) days are called 'lockdown' and the eggs are no longer turned??? And NO messing with the incubator at all, like opening it or anything????

Yep, you have to raise the humidity the last few days, so the shell can soften enough for the chicks to peep out of them. (if the humidity it too high early on the water in the shell gets replaced with water, drowning the chicks). If you open the incubator, the sudden cold air can make the membrane in the shell harden, trapping them inside. Turning them doesn't hurt them in the last few days, but you wouldn't want chicks to get stuck in the turning mechanisms...

 

[Grewder]

I'm a premium incutaors user here, use this Brinsea Mini II. I use this incubator mostly for chicken egg.
I also bought the optional egg insert for bantam eggs (purchased separately) for this purpose.

 

[JustMe]

Well, now I did it.

I ended up buying a Little Giant Deluxe at the feed store. It's made of styrofoam but has the fan, egg turner and all that. Definitely cost more than I wanted to pay, Now I just have to figure out how this thing works, maybe pick up a hydrometer or whatever they're called

 

[goshengirl]

I have these hygrometers on my Amazon wish list - I like how the censor can be inside the unit, but the display box is outside the unit.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R64PFY...colid=WN9CQOBQUASP&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[TeeJ]

Well, now I did it.

I ended up buying a Little Giant Deluxe at the feed store. It's made of styrofoam but has the fan, egg turner and all that. Definitely cost more than I wanted to pay, Now I just have to figure out how this thing works, maybe pick up a hydrometer or whatever they're called

I'd definitely recommend getting a couple of hygrometers, the built in one on my Little Giant has been reading 48% for the last month, even though it's been anything but! Only thing I'm not happy with it, however. I've got a couple dozen quail eggs and a 1/2 dozen chicken eggs in mine right now

I have these hygrometers on my Amazon wish list - I like how the censor can be inside the unit, but the display box is outside the unit.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R64PFY...colid=WN9CQOBQUASP&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Thanks for sharing these - I love the separate sensor! I try and keep mine under the windows in the LG, but I usually have to open the lid to get my old tired eyes to see what they say. These would prevent that and aren't that much more!

 

[goshengirl]

@TeeJ you're most welcome! The company also makes units without the separate (corded) sensor, and we use those all over our basement to monitor the effectiveness of our dehumidifiers, and we're happy with how they work.

 

[txcatlady]

I have a feathered incubator that has 6 babies and another who should be hatching out this week. I looked at incubators but hesitated as I want moms to raise them. 1 st group is about 5 weeks old. Mom protective so really want to turn them out with others so I will have a place for the new ones I anticipate rather than dog crate. My sister has an incubator but power outages, humidity and her success rate was varied.

 

[TeeJ]

@TeeJ you're most welcome! The company also makes units without the separate (corded) sensor, and we use those all over our basement to monitor the effectiveness of our dehumidifiers, and we're happy with how they work.

I've got a bunch of the ones without the corded sensor, and use them all over as well - my my brooders, hoop house/greenhouse, stored RVs, etc. I had no idea they could come with a remote sensor too

 

[JustMe]

I have a feathered incubator that has 6 babies and another who should be hatching out this week. I looked at incubators but hesitated as I want moms to raise them. 1 st group is about 5 weeks old. Mom protective so really want to turn them out with others so I will have a place for the new ones I anticipate rather than dog crate. My sister has an incubator but power outages, humidity and her success rate was varied.

I do agree about preferring the natural method with a good broody hen. My best and most reliable hen had been sitting eggs about every 3 to 4 months, like clockwork for the last 3 years.......then after her last brood in August of last year, that was it and she hasn't sat since. I did have another hen try her hand at brooding but has only done the one clutch that hatched last October and none of them have shown any interest since and why I'm forced to get an incubator

 

[JustMe]

I'd definitely recommend getting a couple of hygrometers, the built in one on my Little Giant has been reading 48% for the last month, even though it's been anything but! Only thing I'm not happy with it, however. I've got a couple dozen quail eggs and a 1/2 dozen chicken eggs in mine right now



Thanks for sharing these - I love the separate sensor! I try and keep mine under the windows in the LG, but I usually have to open the lid to get my old tired eyes to see what they say. These would prevent that and aren't that much more!

It's going to be awhile before I give this a try, but do I understand it correctly that I'm supposed to put water in the bottom and will have to keep opening the unit to do so until 'lockdown' at 3 days prior to hatch??? Not sure I like that idea, but will do if that's what it takes