# Favorite Incubators or advice?



## Chicken Chick (Jan 1, 2013)

At the moment I've been shopping for incubators... I have no idea how to use one but I know that I need one! I was looking at the Brinsea incubators but have kinda fallen back to the cheaper hovabators. 
All I know is that I want one that is circulated air, has an exceedingly reliable thermostat/hydrometer, and that I want a turner with it. 
We were looking at the hovabator genesis but it has to be in a 70 degree stable room, and the bator will be going in my room which is not that stable. 
Also mom wants one that can do geese eggs. 

Any advice?


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Jan 1, 2013)

I incubate in a Hova-Bator 1588 with an auto egg turner since December of 2010.  It never stops.  Then I use  a Miller Incubator with Circulating Fan as a Hatcher.

I have great hatch rates.  In 2012, I hatch over 1,000 chicks, heap, 42 at a time.

The importance is that you have them in an area that the temperatures remains pretty constant.

I incubated from Silkie, to Marans, to Ducks with great success.

If you want to do Goose eggs, they will work, but you will need to not use the turners and hand turn.


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## Pearce Pastures (Jan 1, 2013)

I got our kids a circulated air Farm Innovator brand and it was very easy to use and worked well.  It was our first time hatching our own eggs.  Where are you planning on keeping it?


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## Chicken Chick (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm planning on keeping it in my bedroom. But we don't have ac in the summer, so it gets very hot in my room but I have plans of buying a window unit though we might be able to get the central fixed finally. but as of right now my room is sorta kinda iffy stable. It sounds like I need to go with the hovabator 1588... But I went on GQF's wesite and they might not ship to us in Georgia... so looking on meyer's website


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## GLENMAR (Jan 6, 2013)

I have a Brinsea ECO 20 with turner. I love it. I have great hatch rates. I have hatched chickens, ducks, and a few peafowl.
Easy to clean too.


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## pridegoethb4thefall (Jan 6, 2013)

If you decide to go with one of the cheaper, foam incubators, be prepared to buy new thermostat wafers. They go out very easily and you end up with failed hatches.

That said, I have had good luck with the foam ones, just always have thermostats go out.

Get a good thermometer WITH a hygrometer in it to measure humidity. Sold at walmart etc, and are usually about 6 to 8 bucks. Be sure to keep the batteries good and check that it is working right.

I LOVE my brinesea with auto rocker/turner! Watch for sales- you can get a good deal once hatching season starts!


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## Chic-N-Farmer's (Mar 13, 2013)

I use a GQF Sportsman, but if you don't want to go crazy hatching, the Hovabator gets a lot of good reviews.


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## bonbean01 (Mar 13, 2013)

I have a cheapie styrofoam one with no auto turner...no forced air...no bells or whistles, and have been using it now for four years...no problem...I hand turn, bought a temp/humidity thing for five bucks...that's still working too...hand turn the eggs...adjust the humidity as needed...have hatched out hundreds of quail, bantams, and now RIR's and have 12 at the moment peeping in the brooder and about 6 pipped and expect a 90 percent hatch or better.  Incubator is peeping right now...so have to go...I do enjoy the hands on fussing, but know that it's not for everyone.

Whatever one you decide on...be warned...this gets addicting...and requires lots of adding onto your coop


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## boothcreek (Mar 14, 2013)

I can't incubate anything with my styrofoam incubator, I do use it as a hatcher for the last 2 days since it holds humidity the best. 

For incubating I use Marsh Roll-X incubators with turners etc. No matter what they are dead steady with the temperatures. Altho I do have to fix the one, all came out of a barn from someone who "inherited" them with the property....  the weather got to one of them a bit. 

But the Roll-X are one heck of an expensive incubator for a table top model if bought brand new. The spare parts are pricey too.
Wouldnt trade them for anything in the world tho.


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## babsbag (Mar 14, 2013)

boothcreek said:
			
		

> I can't incubate anything with my styrofoam incubator, I do use it as a hatcher for the last 2 days since it holds humidity the best.
> 
> For incubating I use Marsh Roll-X incubators with turners etc. No matter what they are dead steady with the temperatures. Altho I do have to fix the one, all came out of a barn from someone who "inherited" them with the property....  the weather got to one of them a bit.
> 
> ...




I have a very old Marsh turn-x that I got for 10.00 off of CL. No idea what I was buying. I adjusted the thermostat, bought a water bottle for it and I am in love. It stays at 100 degrees and the humidity is stable no matter what I throw at it. It gets to temp in a minute or two, no muss, no fuss. It does not have a turner, and it wouldn't do very many geese eggs, but I have done ducks in it. The absolute best 10.00 I ever spent. I have a styrofoam one I move the chicks to after they hatch. And yes...I do open the incubator to remove chicks, never caused a problem for me.

http://www.enasco.com/product/SB00712N


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## boykin2010 (Mar 14, 2013)

I have a GQF Sportsman that I keep packed 24/7. 
I have a brinsea octagon advance ex 
and I have a LG styrofoam incubator

I have the best hatch rates from my GQF, then brinsea, then LG. 
I use the brinsea as a "drier" for the chicks occasionally instead of an incubator when my hatching trays are full. I am setting about 80 eggs per week. 
I have had good hatch rates out of the brinsea though.  My problem was that it only holds 24 eggs - and that wasn't near big enough for me. 

I had poor hatch rates with the LG and have found the temperature and humidity are hard to control during incubation.


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## boykin2010 (Mar 14, 2013)

Oh and GQF shipped me my sportsman and I am in GA


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## Pearce Pastures (Mar 14, 2013)

We have only used three times our FarmInnovators incubator but so far so good.  It is easy to use, clean up nicely, and we have had good hatch rates.  We got the circulated air one with an egg turner on Amazon.com for a pretty good price.


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## bonbean01 (Mar 14, 2013)

Well...our cheapie styrofoam incubator has hatched us a great batch of chicks again...had 20...but one poor little chick had it's insides trailing out of it...had to dispatch of that poor little thing...so have 19 healthy chicks in the brooder now...very cute and will get pics later...I am so tired today and ready to be a couch potato with a heating pad for  my back and a nice big bag of fattening chips and Amerian Idol soon


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