Best Chicken Egg Incubator Of 2024
Brandon Forder Apr 24, 2024 2:09 PM
You've made the exciting decision to hatch your own chickens, but you have no idea which of the hundreds of egg incubators to buy is right for you. What's the best way to choose?
For a long time, I've been in the business of incubating chicken eggs, and throughout that time, I've used a number of various models of incubators. I have learned a lot from my many experiences, both good and bad.
Finding the right egg incubator can determine the success or failure of your breeding efforts. Indeed, in terms of incubators, you get what you pay for. Still, that's no need to spend the cash on a $3,000 incubator meant for professionals.
In this extensive piece, I will discuss the eight top egg incubators for 2022, which are ideal for people who keep chickens at home or on a small farm. If you'd rather not have to look for the product yourself, I'll also supply links to it.
Ok, let's just dive in.
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Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API
Airflow
Incubators should include openings for air exchange (eggs in development are alive and breathing!), but still-air and forced-air techniques of airflow deserve special consideration.
Still-Air Incubator
This is the simplest design, and it's the one most commonly found in budget incubators. Like a silent chamber with no vents, it relies on gravity to organically circulate the air. This causes uneven temperatures within the incubator, which might cause some chicks to hatch prematurely while others hatch later than expected.
Forced-Air Incubator
The warm, humid air in this sort of incubator is circulated by a built-in fan. As a result, your eggs will all hatch at about the same time and in the same quality. I think it's very necessary to spend the extra money for forced-air.
Automated Temperature
This is crucial in every way. Hatch performance can be affected by a variation of just 1 degree.
There will be an early hatch and the chicks will have problems walking if the temperature is even one degree too high.
A late hatch and prematurely bowed legs, crooked toes, and unhealed navels are the results of a temperature that is even one degree too low.
For this reason, having an incubator that can make little adjustments during the day is really useful. What a welcome calm! Increases in ambient temperature will have the same effect on an incubator whose temperature is controlled by a manual dial.
Capacity
A maximum of five or six eggs can be placed in some incubators. Some can successfully hatch over fifty eggs, while others can't. While commercial incubators can simultaneously hatch a thousand eggs, a home hatchery probably won't need that many. The average home breeder doesn't need anything fancier than a dozen-egg incubator. However, keep this in mind...
All the technological advancements in the world can't guarantee that every egg will develop into a baby. That's why it's possible that out of 13 eggs you put into your incubator, only five will hatch. Choose an incubator with a larger capacity than the number of eggs you plan to grow. Because we can't always predict or prevent unforeseen events, it's important to factor in some wiggle space.
Features
In order to ensure that her eggs are being warmed evenly on all sides, a hen will turn them over every so often while sitting on them. And she utilizes her own warmth and the resources she finds to build a nest to ensure her young survive and thrive. Incubators provide all of these functions, however their effectiveness varies widely. Your hatcher's price will also increase in proportion to the number and sophistication of its optional extras. Therefore, you should prioritize your must-haves in advance.
The temperature and humidity of an incubator should be easily adjustable. Potentially, they'll come equipped with their own thermostat and/or thermometer. Depending on the humidity in your area, they may also come with a humidifier or dehumidifier. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of incubators that require manual versus automatic egg turning versus those that do not.
Accessibility
If you want to use a manual hatcher, you'll want to make sure the eggs can be easily turned when the time comes. However, keeping an eye on your chicks is comforting, even if you opt for an automatic system. If you want to keep an eye on things, it's a good idea to invest in an incubator with a transparent top and sides.
You could also go for a hatcher that has a window in it, even if only a portion of it is transparent. When it comes time to restock, decontaminate, or clean your incubator, convenience is key. It takes a fair amount of mechanical knowledge to put together some hatchers that come in parts.
Choose a self-assembly model or set aside money to have a professional set it up for you. Most incubators require electricity, so consider your energy needs with your monthly bill. To keep maintenance costs down, you might invest in an energy-efficient version.
Ease of Cleaning
Because hatching is so untidy, this is crucial to the success of the subsequent cycle. This will be difficult if your incubator doesn't disassemble easily or is made of polystyrene (which is notoriously difficult to clean). Definitely go for plastic.
Viewing Window
This is not required, but it adds a lot of pleasure to the process of hatching. At the start of the hatching process, you can usually find me with a chair pulled up and my nose plastered against the glass, admiring my little chicks.
Size
The size of the incubator is another factor to think about.
How many eggs do you hope to have develop simultaneously?
It is possible to obtain incubators that can house six eggs or several hundred. It will be much simpler to hatch the eggs in an incubator if you pick one with a large enough capacity.
Price
The cost should be your last consideration.
Quality, features, and size can all affect the final price, which can range anywhere from $30 to $200 or more.
Spending more on a high-quality incubator is worthwhile if you want to use it again. However, if you only need to hatch one brood, a less expensive incubator will do the trick.
What humidity level for chicken eggs?
From day one to eighteen, the incubator humidity setting for chicken eggs should be between 40 and 50 percent.
A steady level of this humidity should be maintained throughout. On days 18-21, raise the humidity to between 65 and 75 percent. Because of the importance of keeping the chick from getting stuck in the shell, this is an absolute must. The success of the hatch can be severely compromised by either excessive or inadequate humidity levels throughout the incubation period.
How long does it take to hatch a chicken egg in an incubator?
There will be a 21-day waiting period before you see any results from your eggs.
However, there is often considerable variation, with some chicks hatching earlier or later than average. Therefore, I usually leave the eggs in the incubator for up to 5 days after the previous hatch, just in case.
How soon do you have to put fertilized chicken eggs in an incubator?
Within 7 days of fertilization, the eggs must be placed in an incubator.
Keeping eggs out of the incubator for longer reduces their chances of hatching, however some people have reported success with eggs kept for up to 14 days.
Incubation begins at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's important to keep the eggs at that temperature while they're waiting to be placed in the incubator.
I enjoyed myself. I really hope this was informative and useful to you as you consider incubators for your homestead. We merely scratched the surface of the wide variety of egg incubator designs, capabilities, and prices available. For such a modest outlay, I recommend carefully considering the information in my table of the 8 finest egg incubators to choose which one speaks to your innermost preferences. There isn't a bad option in the bunch!
As soon as your incubator comes, turn it on, read the handbook, and set the timer for at least 24 hours. Make sure to insert additional thermometers and hygrometers after 24 hours to double check its accuracy. If your digital display is giving you an inaccurate reading, try adjusting the settings.
