# Wanting to buy incubator for this spring summer and fall



## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

I hatch in spring summer and fall this year u have just had hens hatching babies for me but now I would like to hatch 20 chicks every other year so um needing something for more babies an need to know which are better for long lasting


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Believe it or not, I used my GQF cheapy for years with great success. 

I quit hatching as much and switched over to a roll-x for emergency hatches of six to ten eggs.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

I just bought a little giant at tractor supply. It works fine for me because I am able to monitor it several times a day.


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## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

I have a local feed store it has a Turner and incubator kit for a good price


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## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

I plan on hatching 20 chicks a year


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What you need to pay the most attention to are the instruments you use to measure temp and humidity. Invest in a quality thermo because no matter how great your incubator is, your hatches will fail if the temp is not right.


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## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

Thank you robin don't u have to keep the temp between 99 and 110 and humidity at 50 how do u check the humidity


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

For temp you can use a GQF digital, they're pretty accurate. Or you can get a reptile thermo that does both temp and humidity. I used a Fluckers and had great success with it.

Your temp should be 99.5 for a forced air incubator. 101 for a still air. If you hit 110 then you can count on a zero hatch because it will kill the embryos.

Humidity I kept at 45% for the first 18 days and then cranked it up to 65 for the last three days.


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## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

That will be very helpful I have also geared this do you have to put the eggs in a Hatcher on the 20 day


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

On day 18 remove the turner and lay the eggs on their sides and don't open it until they hatch.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

Once the chicks dry off you put them in a brooder. Do not leave the top off the incubator because the other eggs may dry out. Remove the chick as quickly as possible so you can keep the humidity level.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Cowchickfarmer said:


> That will be very helpful I have also geared this do you have to put the eggs in a Hatcher on the 20 day


People use hatchers when they have a staggered hatch. How that works is that they put in a few eggs then five days later they put in five more.

They shouldn't raise the humidity the last three days because of the newer eggs so they go in an incubator for the sole purpose to hatch.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Staggered hatches are hard when you've only got one incubator. Not impossible, but not easy. If you can block off a section and keep it auto turning with the incubating eggs while you are in lock down for the hatching eggs, it's a lot easier. 
I know I haven't perfected it yet. Heh.


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## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

Stagger hatch sounds hard but is it where u put in your first eggs for a try test then the second batch is the real hatching eggs


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Cowchickfarmer said:


> Stagger hatch sounds hard but is it where u put in your first eggs for a try test then the second batch is the real hatching eggs


What? No. Not necessarily. Many keep adding eggs to the bator to have more chicks hatch in the same date range. Or because the hen they wanted chicks from started laying. Or because someone ordered a particular color or breed.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

I stagger mine so I am able to have a small amount hatch every week.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

A staggered hatch is where you've got some eggs ready to hatch and others still partially through incubation. It's hard because the eggs hatching need to be on lockdown, but the eggs incubating need to be turned every few hours still. So without an auto turner, you're opening the incubator every few hours, which potentially messes up your humidity levels for your locked down hatching eggs. So you either need a hatcher to lock down your hatch in, or an auto turner that can be separated off (so newly hatched chicks don't get stuck in it) or able to control your humidity really well and be super quick with the turning. 

I have no hatcher and no auto turner, so I have to open the incubator and hand turn which messes up my humidity. With practice, and in some cases luck, it gets easier. Like I said, I'm a long way from perfecting it, others are seasoned pros.


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## Cowchickfarmer (Sep 10, 2014)

I got my incubator a little giant letting it run on a 100 f


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