Purchasing an incubator

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Hi I have just joined the group and have had ex battery and free range hens for the last three years. Last year with the help of a broody hen hatched 6 chicks which was a great experience. I purchased some cream leg-bar eggs locally and was also given a 3 fertilized eggs from a friend from school. We now have two cream leg-bar cocks and one hen and two mixed breed hens. This was a great experience and I would like to have more chicks this season to maintain the flock. As the majority of eggs are sold to friends and family and I often have more requests than eggs. I could do with some hens that are not tailing off their egg production like the retired commercial girls.

I have started to look at incubators that hold 10+ eggs but I really could do with information from people like yourselves that have had experience with them and now which makes have worked well.

I look forward from hearing from you soon and learning more from this group.

Thanks,
Greenhen
 
Hi and welcome to the forum, your chooks sound great
I have a brinsea autoturn 20 which i find does a great job
http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Brinsea-Octagon-20-ECO-Auto-Turn-PY400.html
i've had no problems with it at all but i bought it because i heard brinsea's after sales service is second to none and also i wanted the autoturn cradle because i'm not good at remembering to turn eggs
i think if i'd had more money, i'd of gone for the advance model that controls humidity too
good luck in finding the right one for you
 
Hi girlracer265.

Thanks for the info. Do you think it is worth the extra money for the humidity control?
 
I would say it is definitely worth the extra money for humidity control.Some species require different humidity,so it's great to have that function.
 
I agree with lydia and as soon as i can afford it i will be going for the humidity control feature
 
HI girlracer265 & Lydia

Thanks so much for the advice.

I wondered what views you and other people on this forum have on the Brinsea incubators and other makes like the corti , smart and R-COM which I found on the incubator shop web site.

I'm finding it a bit of a mind field so any hepl would eb greatfully received.

Thanks so much,
Greenhen
 
I've got a brinsea eco 20 with autoturn and an RCom King Suro (with automatic everything! :D ) The hatch rates from them have strangely been about the same.
I'd say the RCom instructions are harder to follow but it is easier to clean than the brinsea and you can relax about humidity as it does everything for you. The prices of my machines were comparible. If I had to buy another incubator I'd probably go for an all singing, all dancing Brinsea model- I have a feeling my Brinsea will out last the RCom as it seems tougher and apparantly after sales service is good.
Enjoy your first hatch, Nicky
 
HI pebojuno,

Thanks for all the advice.

Looks like from what advice I have received so far that the best one to go for is the Brimsea all singing and dancing one but I think I better carry on saving my pennies for a bit longer as there is quite a difference in the price for the 20 with the humidity control and the model down without it.

Thanks again for your help,

Greenhen
 
Hi Greenhen,

Good to see you on the forum ;)

I have used both Brinsea Octagon 20DX (no humidity control) and the RCOM 20 (auto humidity) successfully for a good few years. You want the 2008 or later model of RCOM 20 though without the sponge.

Personally, I love the RCOM because of the auto humidity control and I would definately get automatic humidity on my next incubator too. Once you know it works, you hit the start button and don't have to fiddle with anything.

You may want to read my RCOM 20 review.

Tim
 
I have the brinsea octagon autoturn ex - the one with the humidity control. It is really good - takes away all the guessing and anxiety areound making sure you remember to add water and getting right level etc. I've just hatched 5 out 5 eggs - not that it means it is any better than any other incubator but it was my first time hatching and was worth the extra to reduce the anxiety a bit - mind you to have seen me you wouldn't have thought so :o :lol:

If anybody does get this model please note: In the manual it tells you to add water to the chamber/s in the incy but it is the manual first devised for the non- humidity control model . The humidity control one - the 'ex' model - has another set of instructions for the humidity pump but it forgets to tell you that if you have this pump working you don't need to add water to the chambers in the incy as well. I rang Brinsea and they confirmed this - hopefully they will ammend the manual to reflect this as it is confusing.

Good luck with whatever model you choose.
 
HI Anne W,

Thanks so much for the info. Sounds like your Brimsea incubator is really good. I do like the idea of taking out the guess work as I have not used an incubator before and the idea of having to vary things like the water level is a bit scary :shock:

Thanks so much for you help.

Greenhen
 
HI Tim,

Thanks so much for the welcome.

I will go and read your view.

Thanks again for all the help,

Greenhen
 
Hi Greenhen,

I have moved this topic to Incubation and Hatching Eggs ;) I also deleted your duplicate post in there - since this one is now in the same place :)

Tim
 
HI Tim,

I've just read your review with great interest.

The CRom does sound good but how do you think it could compare to the Brimsea auto with the humidity control feature which is available on the Octagon 20 Advance EX?

Thanks again for you help,

Greenhen
 
Hmm Can't really say to be honest - I've not tried it before.

A few years ago before auto humidity incubators, by far the most popular incubator was the Brinsea Octagon 20 - and these lasted for years without problems.

Humidity was the hardest thing to hold constant but with auto humidity control, we are spoilt for choice these days!
 
Just one point,and it isn't aimed at Greenhen,but at everyone wondering about humidity.In an incubator,it isn't the depth of the water that affects humidity(it does affect how often you fill it though)it is the surface area that the water covers,as the humidity is created by the water evaporating.Depth is irrelevent.
 
hi,

Thanks everyone for you help.

I suppose now I need to start to work out whether to go for the Rcom or the Brimsea as both have humidity control available - as that is what seams to make the biggest difference so I understand (if I'm wrong please let me know)

reading other things how easy they are to clean is also an issue has anyone got any views on which maybe better?

I suppose it would be easier if you could look at one but I don't think I have anywhere close to me that stocks both incubators I'll see what Countrywide store has when I go in for feed tomorrow.

Thanks again for all your help and advice,

Greenhen
 
I tested and reviewed the RCOM King SURO end of last year - now that was really easy to clean!

The RCOM 25 breaks down quite nicely too.
 
Hi Tim

Thanks so much for the information the CRom does sound easy to clean from your review which is great.

Has anyone got any views on how easy they find Brimsea's Octagon 20 Advance to clean?

Thanks again for all your help with this as it has been really helpful.

Greenhen
 
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