A money-making investment! That’s what many people call a poultry farm. On the contrary, to make money out of this business, first, you have to meet the endless chicken needs. One among them is the storage of chicken eggs at the right temperature and in the right environment.
An incubator is the best device to meet the storage problems. Choosing the right incubator is the best solution to store your eggs and to achieve a successful hatch.
What are the types of incubators?
Chicken incubators are handy devices when it comes to hatching the eggs. Incubators are primarily used to hatch chicken eggs. However, some of them even use it to hatch duck or quail eggs. Chicken incubators are not something new, they are right there for decades.
There are two types of incubators that are widely used:
- Manual incubators
- Automatic incubators.
Pocket-friendly manual incubators
The manual incubators are low-cost, pocket-friendly, and productive. The manual incubators are most preferred in small poultry farms. In manual incubators, the eggs have to be turned periodically and there should be some arrangement made to ensure warmth to every part of the egg.
The eggs being turned periodically can cause some difficulty, as you have to be vigilant at all times and keep a track of time. These incubators are also called still air incubators.
Do your work easily! Automatic incubators
Automatic incubators or forced air incubators are widely preferred in big poultry farms. These automatic incubators have fans that ensure the warm air is circulated evenly. The automatic machines also come with an interesting egg turning option. This lessens the work of anyone, the machine does everything by itself.
The egg turning feature enables you to be sure that the egg is kept warm at all times. The difference between the manual incubator and automatic incubator is widely felt when you start using it. The automatic incubators ease your work like never before.
Although a little expensive compared to manual ones, automatic incubators do their job perfectly.
What is the difference between a hatcher and an incubator?
It is normal for you to get confused with the names of the poultry equipment and their purposes.
The most common question you may have in your mind is the difference between a hatcher and an incubator. The answer for what is these equipment’s and why is it necessary for your farm is stated below:
The incubator is also called a setter. Consider incubator as a device that gives the chicken eggs the best-suited environment for their growth. The eggs also undergo the developmental phase inside an incubator. An incubator gives this to the eggs through a few mechanisms that are primarily environment regulated. This is the main reason why an incubator should be chosen carefully. This can ensure that the eggs grow properly.
A stable environment is created inside the incubator. When you try to incubate the eggs with the help of those broody hens, there is always a threat that the eggs may get damaged because of a wild animal that could harm the hen. On an incubator, you can always stay assured about the egg’s safety. You can also look forward to a fantastic hatch!
Now that we have discussed in detail an incubator, it is time to see what is a hatcher.
A hatcher can be called a sub-unit in the incubator. This is the place the eggs are kept still till the incubation is complete. Generally, the conditions are a little different in this part of the incubator. You will notice that there is higher humidity and airflow. This is because the eggs require more humidity towards the hatching period.
The hatches create a space conducive for the eggs to hatch. There is hardly any need to turn the eggs at this phase. The chick inside these eggs finds its way out by pecking the wall of the shell. It slowly alienates itself from the shell.
What should I look for while buying an incubator?
While all the incubators may have the much-needed mechanism and technology there are always a few factors that you need to consider while buying an incubator. The versatility of the incubator is one of the few factors that come under consideration.
The incubator you choose should not be limited to hatching chicken eggs. This should also be versatile enough to hatch other bird eggs. Find an incubator capable enough to hatch ostrich or parrot eggs when necessary. These eggs are difficult to hatch in a manual incubator or through natural processes.
Cost is another factor you should consider while buying an incubator. The incubator buyers guide consider this as paramount. Buying a chicken incubator is an easy option compared to buying chickens. This would cost you far less than the amount the poultries may charge you for delivering the chickens.
If you have an incubator, you can invest your money in buying some eggs, hatch them and make money out of them. This will cost you half of what you need to spend on buying chickens.
Imagine you are a person who moves places, what would be the best option for you? Chicken or eggs? The chickens may not blend well with the changing environment, noise, pollution, etc. This certainly is not the case with chicken eggs. Using a portable method, a portable incubator is all you need to carry when it comes to chicken eggs.
The incubator you choose should be able to accommodate eggs of varying sizes. This is imperative as all the eggs are not of the same size. You should also be able to use the incubator in the settings of a home, laboratory, or garden. A digital control should also be the feature to control the temperature inside the incubator.
What is the best overall egg incubator in the market?
The best overall egg incubator in the market comes from Brinsea. The latest model of Brinsea can accommodate over 28 eggs at a time. This makes it suitable for both small and medium-sized poultries. It has a beautiful display that enables you to see all the processes happening inside the incubator.
This also shows the temperature settings of the incubator. An alarm is set which cries out loud when the temperature goes high or low. The durability of the incubator is a thing of mention. The ABS plastic in it is the magic that also helps to carry out sanitization easily.
What is the best cabinet incubator?
The best incubator in the cabinet category goes to Digital Sportsman Cabinet Incubator. This cabinet incubator has received accolades for its premium quality construction and effortless work. This is a combination of an incubator and a hatcher. The cabinet incubator features three turning trays that are utilized for incubating the eggs and one tray at the bottom for hatching.
A high-quality plastic board is used to build this incubator. The incubator is quiet. Yes, it won’t disturb you at your work. The incubator is also properly insulated and is easy to clean.
Electronic control is one of the key features of this brand. It has a thermostat that is combined with an LCD screen. The LCD screen displays the temperature and humidity in the incubator.
The incubator has three trays. These trays are the rotating types. The hatching tray receives eggs from one tray at a time. The incubator is built with high-end technology and this helps in monitoring and changing the environment as per the requirements. The device also shares the data with you. The incubator is equipped to incubate quail eggs, turkey eggs, chicken eggs, and more.
What is the best egg incubator under 60 dollars?
Not all egg types require a proper incubator. Some eggs just need an egg holding tray and a proper environment to hatch.
The Digital Egg incubator is one of the best for under 60 dollars. This egg incubator comes with better features and is a good buy. The updated version of this egg incubator comes with a screen to display the temperature. This is a built-in LED incubator and you can view the entire cultivation process.
The incubator is large enough to hold 12 eggs at a time. It can hold up to 4 goose eggs, 9 duck eggs, 35 quail eggs, and 9 duck eggs. The incubator is the latest yet it is easy to use. The incubator has temperature control and also overflow control. The space required for this incubator is very small and can be accommodated easily in any narrow space. It is easy to clean and maintain.
The incubator can be used widely for farms, home needs, educational institutions, etc. It is budget-friendly and costs so much below 60 dollars. You can buy this and forget the worry of incubating your eggs perfectly.
What is the best expert-level egg incubator?
The best expert-level egg incubator that you can purchase from the market is Hova-Bator.
The Hova-Bator 1588 is one of the best in the market that can offer amazing results when it comes to incubating and hatching eggs. When it comes to this incubator, it is safety that comes first. The incubator is safe to use and easy to handle. You can use this incubator in a home setting, a classroom setting, or a laboratory setting.
A factory pre-set temperature is the key feature of this incubator. To use this egg incubator all you need to do is plug in the incubator, pour some water, and watch the amazing results you get out of it.
A digital thermostat in the incubator ensures that it is not affected by the weather conditions outside. The sensors in the incubator see that the eggs get proper warmth and are not burnt. There is also an option to change the temperature as per the requirements for various types of eggs.
From beginners to experts anyone can use this device safely.
When all the above points focus on the plus-points of the incubator, the main flaw of the incubator is that it doesn’t come with a turner. You have to turn the eggs manually. This may seem a tedious task for some. This incubator is perfect only for those who run small poultry farms, in case you have a big poultry farm, there is an immediate need to look for other options.
Farm Innovators Air incubator- Model no. 4250 is the best expert-level egg incubator you can opt for in case you own a bigger poultry farm. This particular model circulates the air inside the incubator and this ultimately increases the hatching rate.
41 eggs in one cycle. That’s the capacity of this incubator. The heater that comes inbuilt in this device keeps the eggs at a preset temperature of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. An automatic egg turner and a display make things easy for those who own big farms. The automatic turner in the incubator will turn the eggs periodically every four hours.
This model is easy to use for beginners and experts alike. The device is hassle-free and you can clean and maintain it easily. The manual task of turning the eggs is taken care of by the automatic turner and when there are a large number of eggs to incubate, you can just be worry-free.
The display present in the model allows you to keep a check on the humidity and temperature settings. You can also get to know the number of days to hatch from the data of this model. The only downside to this device is that it may not allow you to set the temperatures.
And what is the conclusion?
Incubation demands Incubation! There’s no compromise. The eggs are not bothered about how much you paid for the incubator. However, the only thing that they may require is ample conditions for them to grow and develop. It can be a nerve-wracking task when it comes to providing the right conditions in a manual egg incubator.
If you have the time and energy, you can certainly opt for it. The manual egg incubators save you a lot of money. If you are not the one who can do it, then it is better to go for automatic incubators as they do the work for you. The options for egg incubators are plenty and you can choose the one that best suits you based on your requirements and budget.
Happy incubation and great hatching! Hope you enjoyed reading about incubators!
