Who else has eggs cooking in the incubator?

I have just bought my first incubator, but with holidays booked I don't think it will be till the middle of August I can start incubating. Can't wait!

 

I do have an incubator but no eggs in it. I'm in Wisconsin and dont want to have babies hatching in August when frost hits in Septemeber.

 

I stop hatching June 21st here in SW Ohio....chicks hatched after that are not very thrifty before cold weather hits and after 6 months of hatching (I start January 1st) I'm tired of chick hatching!!!

 

I hatch every week, My hatch season started in Feb and has not stopped yet. I have dropped my birds down to one hatch a month. but I hatch for several different people. I'm averaging a 90% hatch rate and am up to 8 perfect hatches so far this year. if I can help you please feel free to ask. I will say my first attempt at quail was not so bright. I hatched 31 of 54 pharoh quail I bought at auction. so Sunday threw me for a loop that was a 57% hatch rate but the eggs I have no idea how they were handled or when they were laid.

 

Your right. I run my big hatches last two weeks of Sept and the first 2 weeks of Oct. I hatch every few weeks just to keep a supply of " new layers " around for the comunity when they need laying chickens in a hurry. but spring and fall are my big runs.

 

I'm interested in incubating, may I ask what types of incubaters you all use and how you like them and why?
Thanks!

 

I had the Brinsea Eco Mini, and the Eco-Advance. The advance is way better, because of the auto turner. It's louder than you think, and there is no humidity or water level regulator,, in either. I purchased my eggs locally, and only two hatched from each incubator. I sold them on craigslist when my hen went broody. Now I have 10 eggs under her.

Our friend did a hatch in a cooler with a light bulb, and sprinkled water on the eggs daily, and had a better hatch rate than we did.

I am not opposed to incubators in the future, if it holds more eggs, Also, I learned my lesson on staggering hatches, causing too many chickens to care for, since they were just far enough apart, to make a difference.

 

In the 'bators now are Gambel's, mixed barnyard duck and chickens, butler bobs and Argentine chickens. Have 100 Coturnix eggs coming beginning of the week. This years hatching is winding down 'cause I'm tired! lol
I hatch for a few folks around here. None of the eggs are mine or for me. Ironically, I just shipped out the eggs from my quail to someone who wanted some on the East Coast. ( and if anyone here wants Coturnix, please, just let me know...no charges involved, just promise to enjoy hatching and having! )

Working with foam "incinerators" now; Hovabator and LG for incubating and hatching. Once this year's hatching is done, the search for a cabinet incubator is on! I may keep the styrofoam 'bators to use as hatchers depending.....

 

I have better than a dozen eggs in the incubators some are olive easter eggers and some are blue some are silkie or bantie and sll are viable at this point. I have been using Brinsea mini eco for 3 yrs i have to turn the eggs. I finally bought a genesis hovabator and just set it up today. It's also a manual egg turning thing but I have found that turning them morning midafternoon and before i go to bed works perfectly. I have hatched ducks and chicks with great success.

 

Guess what arrived today........ THE HOVA-BATOR!!!!!!!!!

 

He was hatched last night, by a lady that sold me some other bantam cochins. He is partridge, so far there are two out of 5. He's mine, all mine.

 

I live in Fairbanks, Alaska and it seems like I have chicks year round. I was lucky enough to have young silkies for a mom who wanted a white one for her son. It made the perfect Christmas gift and then I had a few hatch on Christmas eve under a mom so I have a beautiful white silkie rooster from that batch named Kringle, the hen is Holly. We have brooding boxes with lights going all the time. I'm sure my husband wishes it would stop at some point. I just had a beautiful black silkie and some mixed banties hatch yesterday, they are sooo cute.

 

I have been using the Brinsea Mini Eco manual turn incubators since the fall of 2009 and have had wonderful results. I finally broke down and ordered a Genesis Hovabator and have all my eggs in there right now and some of the new hatches. I'm finding that it works well as a temp brooding area for newbies.

 

Got 30 eggs going the other day...
Greys...Sweaters...Galvin Hatch...
Got the Farm Innovators Pro #4200 & The still air #9200
Both these units are new...