# 'Bator recommendations



## Riverdale

I'm looking for a durable, quality 'bator. Need to be able to hatch 8-12 eggs (minimum) per hatch, not more than 24 per.

Auto turner, fan, humidity control preferred.

$150-200 tops, but less would be good too! 

Give me reviews (good and bad) please.

Also, please state if I need to get something else (like Little Giant).

Thanks much!


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## Energyvet

I've heard brinsea are the best due to good temp regulation. I don't use or have one. Others will likely validate this or not.


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## toybarons

I love my Brinsea. I have two of them. However, they are not cheap. For the price you are looking for, you likely will be looking at a Hovabator or a Little Giant. I know people that have had good success with them but I am not one of them. Where I live in Canada, humidity was a big issue. I could never get my Little Giant to balance humidity properly even with a Hydrometer so I went to a Brinsea with an auto humidity pump which solved my problem.


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## Energyvet

I heard from so many that its best just to safe up and buy the right thing the first time. Gonna end up there anyway.


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## BuckeyeChickens

Brinsea is having a BIG SALE right now.....go to their FB page for the discount code before ording directly from their website;

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Brinsea-Products-Inc/140621339296778?fref=ts


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## troyer

Stay away from a Brower Top Hatch incubator.


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## BigECart

troyer said:


> Stay away from a Brower Top Hatch incubator.


FYI, there's a new recall out on the Brower incubators.


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## BuckeyeChickens

BigECart said:


> FYI, there's a new recall out on the Brower incubators.


thanks good to know!!!


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## piglett

toybarons said:


> I love my Brinsea. I have two of them. However, they are not cheap. For the price you are looking for, you likely will be looking at a Hovabator or a Little Giant. I know people that have had good success with them but I am not one of them. Where I live in Canada, humidity was a big issue. I could never get my Little Giant to balance humidity properly even with a Hydrometer so I went to a Brinsea with an auto humidity pump which solved my problem.


i went with the Hovabator for about $129 shipped to my door.
it holds 41 chicken eggs has a fan kit & auto egg turner.
doing a test hatch rite now with just 10 eggs
i really like the Brinsea but they sure do cost a bunch of $$$

piglett


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## MommaHen72

piglett said:


> i went with the Hovabator for about $129 shipped to my door.
> it holds 41 chicken eggs has a fan kit & auto egg turner.
> doing a test hatch rite now with just 10 eggs
> i really like the Brinsea but they sure do cost a bunch of $$$
> 
> piglett


I received the hovabator with everything u just described for Christmas. I have 13 eggs in it due to hatch tues-thurs!! I hear peeping tonight and most of the eggs have been wiggling on the wire today. And this is my first hatch ever. Will let ya know how hatch turns out.


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## piglett

MommaHen72 said:


> I received the hovabator with everything u just described for Christmas. I have 13 eggs in it due to hatch tues-thurs!! I hear peeping tonight and most of the eggs have been wiggling on the wire today. And this is my first hatch ever. Will let ya know how hatch turns out.


 sounds good, now get that chicken out of the kitchen


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## MommaHen72

piglett said:


> sounds good, now get that chicken out of the kitchen


Lol - that only happens when hubby is outta town. Shhhhh.


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## kaufranc

MommaHen, you sound like me sneaking chickens into the house! I can't help it! I love watching them walking around being curious!


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## piglett

kaufranc said:


> MommaHen, you sound like me sneaking chickens into the house! I can't help it! I love watching them walking around being curious!


 i have a silkie youngster in the bathroom rite now.
she was not full of energy like her/his coop mates.
i gave it a good look over eyes were 1/2 closed but clear
beak looked good, bottom was free of poop but i did see something that could have been a mite. i dusted the whole bunch with DE
& put the "droopy" youngster in a dog crate in the bathroom.
also added some duramycen (spelled wrong) to it's water.
it does eat & drink some but it's clearly sick 

piglett


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## kaufranc

Poor chickie. Hope he / she feels better


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## piglett

kaufranc said:


> Poor chickie. Hope he / she feels better


well i'm sorry to report that the youngster didn't make it through the night
what was strange is the cat who always sleeps between my wife & i didn't last night, she instead stayed in the bathroom. maybe the cat knew something that i didn't?

piglett


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## Energyvet

Sorry you lost your baby. Yeah, cats cross between many realities, me thinks.


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## kaufranc

Poor chick. All others are doing good?


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## piglett

kaufranc said:


> Poor chick. All others are doing good?


all the rest are live & kicking

infact 1 of my adult silkie hens is broody & sitting on a batch of eggs


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## BuckeyeChickens

toybarons said:


> *I love my Brinsea.* I have two of them. *However, they are not cheap*. For the price you are looking for, you likely will be looking at a Hovabator or a Little Giant. I know people that have had good success with them but I am not one of them. Where I live in Canada, humidity was a big issue. I could never get my Little Giant to balance humidity properly even with a Hydrometer so I went to a Brinsea with an auto humidity pump which solved my problem.


Like you toybarons I have been using Brinsea for years....purchased all of mine second hand on ebay or craigslist for the most part but you can buy an entry level Octagon 20 ECO unit for $149 NEW!!! The beauty of the Brinsea Octagon 20 is the eggs can be turned without opening the unit and withot touching the eggs....simply tilt the bator to one side or the other. You can add an auto-turner later if you like so those interested should try this link;

http://www.brinsea.com/prod-Octagon_20_ECO_egg_incubator-224.aspx

Brinsea Customer Service is TOP NOTCH as well. They have an office in Titusville, FL and will jump thru hoops to help you!


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## Energyvet

Great to know. When I get better situated, that's the direction I'm going in.


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## quackers10

I have both a Hovabator & 2 Brinsea, the Hovabator has given me by far the best result, very good at sticking to temp, although Brinsea have a good name I have an old automatic roller & a semi-automatic digital (with fan) but the last few yrs haven't been that successfull with them, had a lot get to last 3 days living & then not hatch.


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## Energyvet

Maybe you need a tune up?


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## piglett

Energyvet said:


> Maybe you need a tune up?


*i did very well with my 1st Hov. hatch*
*mine has the fan kit & egg turner*
*i put 10 eggs in for a test hatch*
*1 was clear so no bator in the world would have hatched it*
*the other 9 all hatched. *
*the thing is i don't run mine as humid as they say to run it*
*i started off at about 40% *
*after about day 14 it started to go up & had reached 50% by day 18*
*i then loaded er up with water & it reached 79% & had dropped to 69% once the chicks started to hatch.*

*good luck*
*piglett*


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## BuckeyeChickens

quackers10 said:


> I have both a Hovabator & 2 Brinsea, the Hovabator has given me by far the best result, very good at sticking to temp, although Brinsea have a good name I have an old automatic roller & a semi-automatic digital (with fan) but the last few yrs haven't been that successfull with them, had a lot get to last 3 days living & then not hatch.


Are these the kind of brinsea bators you find in scotland quackers10?

The one on the left is an Octagon 250....holds about 450 eggs and I call it the "BEAST"!!! The smaller one is an older Brinsea Octagon 20 DX;


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