can anyone recommend an incubator please

[pink-angel29]

i would like to hatch some chickens and quails out but im not to sure what incubator i should get any advice is much appreciated.

[Suechooks]

If you do a search there are a couple of threads on this. Think it was last year. A lot dependson how much you're prepared to pay and how much time you have.

[motherhen]

I can highly recommend Brinsea I have used them over many years they go right down to small sizes, if you can stretch to it get automatic turn, they hold temperature and humidity and the company give good backup service.
This is just my personal opinion but I speak from experience, when I used to do larger numbers I had a large incubator a although it was very good if something went wrong you lost loads where as a number of smaller ones where more controlable.

[RichmondHens]

As Sue says, depends on how much you want to spend and how many you want to hatch. If you want to hatch in large quantities (unlikely I suspect) then incubators are the way to go although would agree with motherhen that several smaller ones rather than one big one is more sensible in case of a fault.

However a broody hen is the cheapest option if you are keeping to a low budget and only want to hatch say about 8 - 10. Also it's not just the cost of incubator but the heat lamp and cages/coops for the little ones as they grow. I've not kept quail but I suspect you would need a separate set up for these anyway as they are so so tiny compared to normal chicks.

[Hilary B]

For small numbers, the Octagon type are pretty good. If you don't want the expense of the turning cradle, you can 'turn' the whole thing (by 90 degrees) in a couple of seconds. as far as I can recall (it was about 15 years ago now) they hold about 20 hens eggs, and will probably do any size (but I suspect you shouldn't mix ones that are too different).

[motherhen]

The reason I suggest the cradle is because when your busy it's so difficult to remember whether you have turned it or not? I used to put stickers on the left and the right with AM/PM so that I knew what I had done DOH!!!

[Hilary B]

The reason I suggest the cradle is because when your busy it's so difficult to remember whether you have turned it or not? I used to put stickers on the left and the right with AM/PM so that I knew what I had done DOH!!!

Makes sense, but when we had one, that wasn't going to be a problem. Manual turning tends to be a bore, but some autoturns are VERY pricey, and/or delicate. The 'big' (70 hen eggs) incubator I had the autoturner broke down, but because of the way it worked, it was still a 'semi-automatic', and I could turn all the eggs by moving the sliding platform. If I was trying again, I would get one that could be semi-automatic as first choice, but different choices suit different people.

[Scarlet]

I love a semi-automatic. When you have to go and turn a few times a day, you can also check humidity and temperature -I'm much more aware of whats going on. I keep a log of each hatch from Day 1 up to day 21, with each time it was turned, humidity and temp. If I get a poor hatch I usually know why.
I have been using a corti (cheap and cheerful!)that my kids had for a present 4/5 years ago. Last month I hatched 22 from 24 eggs
Corti Incubator / Hatcher Perfect Beginners Unit Excellent Results Every Time - Incubators & Hatchers - Corti Product Range - Corti Incubator / Hatcher AF-25 semi automatic - Country Fayre - Poultry Equipment - Housing - Incubator Specialists Brinsea

[squibbs]

I have a RCOM King Suro. It holds 24 hens eggs, has a turning cradle and automatic humidity - though it is by way of a separate pump and can be a bit of a fiddle to get started - but once running its great

Good success rates with it, easy enough to clean and I would buy another one if I needed to.

[its hilly]

I like my Maino. It's a 50 egger with a turning cradle, but doesn't set it own humidity, you have to manually add water.
Only thing I would add to the disscussion is that if you buy 2nd hand and don't get instructions, it can be a pain working things out. It's taken me several hatches to find out how mine works best.

[jessmorris]

Someone gave me an RCOM mini (3 egg). It has been a disaster first time around. As the whole thing is automatic I'm not sure how I can rectify it!
JM