egg incubators?

[freebs]

Anyone have one and if so what do you recommend?? I am in the market and just need to know what i should get.

[madhen]

I am assuming you want it for chicken eggs?

The styrofoam ones work, but only for a couple of hatchings, and then I find they are so darn hard to sterilize and keep clean, they aren't worth the cost. I've never had one work successfully for more than three or four hatchings. If you are serious, I would look at the Lyon or Brinsea brands. They are pricey, but they will last forever and are made to be easy to clean out/sterilize in between hatchings. I used to use a Lyon Turn-X and it worked beautifully. I currently have a Brinsea brooder that can also be used as an incubator, but I've never used it for the latter purpose. If you look in my albums, I think it is pictured in the ranch album.

I have a homemade wooden incubator that a friend gave me, and I successfully hatched my baby finches in there, so making one is also an option. This one is super simple - just a wooden cabinet with two fuses that control min and max temps. You set it by putting in these little glass tubes that are calibrated to a set temp (came with about seven tubes, from 97.5F - 101F). Not sure where to get those, but you could probably just get a thermostat and it would be a lot more reliable.

If you check out ranch supply stores, you can buy all the internal workings (fans, thermostats, etc) and just make your own.

One note: get one with an automatic egg turner!!! Much easier than trying to turn the eggs yourself several times a day. You can just shut them off a few days before the eggs are due to hatch.

[redmaples]

If you are wanting to hatch only a few chicken eggs...
consider getting a few silkies. they are very broody hens.
I have had mine for nearly 3 years. they hatch out all eggs i put under them.
Once they build their clutch up, I take the silkie eggs out & put the big
brown eggs from the heavy breeds under them. they are good mamas,
so they do the work raising the chicks. It's a lot easier than having to keep them in a brooder box under a light. My pair usually set together as a team & take care of the chicks together with the help of the silkie roo. He is also a good
father.