Don’t Buy a Cheap Incubator; Learn from My Mistakes

    Cheap incubators. Don’t do it. I should have never done it myself.

    All incubators are not created equal- and this is something that the new chicken tender may not realize. I'm here to tell you about my experience, and hopefully you'll heed my warning. Otherwise, you could have the same frustrating, heartbreaking experience that I did.

My First Incubator: A Disaster

    My very first incubator, this was around 2017 or so, was a cheap, 48-egg incubator that I got during the holiday season. It was $30–$40, which was incredibly low looking back. However, back then, that price didn’t raise eyebrows because you could still get a decent incubator for $50–$60 typically. Today, if you saw a $30 incubator while the expensive ones are surpassing $200, you're going to be a little bit suspicious.

    This incubator? Oh it was no exception! Terrible. Just awful. This incubator had problems in MANY different ways. (I'll include the video below, before I dive into the issues!)

• Temperature Issues

    The temperature wasn’t calibrated correctly. I had to re-calibrate it, and even then, it wouldn’t give me accurate readings. I ended up running it above the “correct” temperature just to keep the eggs warm enough. Because of that, many eggs would go all the way to day 25 or 26 before hatching (if they didn't quit before then.) Chicken eggs should not take that long; red flag.

• Humidity Problems

    The humidity was either way too high or way too low. Nothing in between. I eventually started dry hatching to try to ensure that enough evaporation was taking place. I wouldn’t add any water at all until lockdown, and even then I’d add only a tiny bit. I had to watch it very, very closely to ensure the chicks didn't drown or perish due to being shrink wrapped.

Because of the humidity swings, I had:

• lots of shrink-wrapping
• tons of mid-incubation quitters
• MANY losses

    Out of 10 or 11 viable embryos, I would hatch half if I was lucky. And now that I’ve had better incubators, I know that number of quitters was ridiculous. It wasn’t the eggs. It was the machine. This is why this is one of the mistakes that made its way into the eBook I've been giving out for free via the mailing list- cheap incubators will deal a blow to your wallet AND your emotions. 

• Potential Fire Hazard

    I later found out the manufacturer had reports of power cords catching on fire on that model. Mine never did, thankfully, but what if it had? Perhaps it was only a matter of time. Luckily, that incubator is long gone, so I won't have to worry about that. 

A Better Option (Without Spending $200)

    There is a huge difference between the suspiciously cheap incubators, the mid-range brands, and the top-of-the-line models. 

    For example, the Nurture Right 360 is extremely popular, and it’s a great machine as far as many people are concerned, but it’s also expensive. There are a few well-known brands that are very pricey. For those, you're simply buying the brand in my opinion. 

    You do not have to spend that much to get a quality product. However, you also shouldn’t buy the rock-bottom option. You've probably got a lot of research ahead of you if you'd like to find a decent incubator with a modest budget; I researched for several days. You could opt for the one I referenced in the video (and below) if a 24-egg incubator suits your needs. I, personally, have had incredible luck with it. 

    If you don’t do your research, you won’t know that you’re potentially purchasing a terrible machine. Always read reviews, real reviews, about the incubator you're planning to purchase. Amazon is one of my favorite places to check reviews before I purchase a product, even if I'm purchasing the product somewhere else. It's a great place to get first-hand information about a product. 

The Incubator That I Use Currently

    The incubator I use now is a Sailnovo 24 Egg Incubator (This Amazon link is the same one.) It was around $77–$78 when I purchased it, and I got it on eBay. And honestly? I love it. I have it put away currently, but when I bring it out for hatching, I'll have to update this post with photos. Currently, my leghorn hens aren't laying, but that should change later this month. I originally bought this model because I wanted something inexpensive but reliable. I figured if it didn’t work, I could return it. But it’s been wonderful.

• Super easy to use
• Accurate temperature
• Stable humidity
• Excellent hatch rate

    No issues whatsoever so far!

    The only “bad” hatch I had was a batch of eggs from a seller whose fertility was very poor. That wasn’t the incubator’s fault. That was my fault for not asking about her fertility rates before purchasing. I spent way too much on those eggs to have 7 develop (out of 16.) I won't make that mistake again, either. 

    Every other hatch, especially my own eggs, has been fantastic. My leghorn eggs, for example: I'll usually hatch 10/12. There's usually one that doesn't develop, and there's almost always a quitter during incubation. Not always, but usually. 

    I’m planning to buy another one (possibly two) of these so I can increase my hatching capacity later this winter and in early spring.

The Bottom Line & Closing Thoughts

    Do not buy the cheapest incubator you can find, as you're almost guaranteed that you'll run into problems. It could be as simple as a humidity issue, and it could be as serious as a fire hazard, apparently. 

    If you’re new to chickens and hatching seems exciting (and it is!), just don’t accidentally sabotage your first hatch with a poor-quality incubator. You’ll waste money, you’ll deal with heartbreak, and you’ll end up buying a better incubator anyway- which will cost you more in the long run, unfortunately. Spend a little bit more up front and make yourself happy. You'll be glad you did when you see that most of your fertile, healthy eggs hatched! 

    You could buy an incubator used via Marketplace or Craigslist, which is another great way to save money. I've actually seen many, many incubators going up for sale in my local area, so it's worth checking out Facebook if you'd like to save a little more money!

Discussion Topics

1. Have you hatched your own eggs yet? What was the first breed you hatched?
2. Are you hatching to simply supply your family with eggs or meat, or are you hatching for show quality birds to compete with?
3. What type of incubator do you currently use, are you having good results with it?
4. How long have you been hatching your own chicks?
5. What breeds of chicken do you currently own or hatch from?