Any reason I shouldn't buy a Hovabator?

Rcoms are a good incubator. The company is a pleasure to deal with

Again styrofoam incubators a an excellent choice for your first incubator teach's you to constantly monitor everything from humidity to temp to what side the eggs are on... I really don't like the idea of hobby level set-it-forget it incubators if you ask me the loss in event of failure is greater than any benefit.

call ducks wrote:Again styrofoam incubators a an excellent choice for your first incubator teach's you to constantly monitor everything from humidity to temp to what side the eggs are on... I really don't like the idea of hobby level set-it-forget it incubators if you ask me the loss in event of failure is greater than any benefit.

So very true! Hovas definitely make you get up close and personal with your incubation practices! But I am too busy to monitor temperatures for 15 minutes twice a day to make sure those temps don't creep up kind of like the boiler in 'The Shining'. We all know that ends badly!

I have a Marsh Roll-X that I bought used for $140 about a dozen years ago. It's a real workhorse, easy to clean, and super reliable. Just to add that additional element/opinion into the mix. I found mine used in a classified ad.

farmchiq wrote:I have a Marsh Roll-X that I bought used for $140 about a dozen years ago.  It's a real workhorse, easy to clean, and super reliable.  Just to add that additional element/opinion into the mix.    I found mine used in a classified ad.  

You got very lucky! Those are the best table top incubator you can get. Used for high value bird eggs (parrots, etc) a lot.

call ducks wrote:Rcoms are a good incubator. The company is a pleasure to deal with

Again styrofoam incubators a an excellent choice for your first incubator teach's you to constantly monitor everything from humidity to temp to what side the eggs are on... I really don't like the idea of hobby level set-it-forget it incubators if you ask me the loss in event of failure is greater than any benefit.

You say constantly monitor ... I say drive yourself INSANE. I started my first hatch in a Brower table top model that made me CRAZY. After a few days of that nonsense, I had a friend buy me a Brinsea at a farm show and sent it up on the bus, and my sanity returned. $650 is a low price to pay for sanity.

Haha ohh a Brower what a incubator. I have heard so many (bad) things about it. Now I have a old redwood Brower, that is the best thing ever! Mind you it was made by Lheay (sp?) company. I only check the temperature three to four times a day.

Its a good habit to be checking your temps. Because while rare those electronic thermostats do fail and the thing that is nice with some of the older sportsmens is they came with a backup wafer thermostat, and I am not sure that Brienseas do.

The Brower is awful.

I bought a spot check thermometer and I do occasionally double check the temp. I set it at 99.4 and hatched 21/22 eggs last go round, didn't lose a single chick to date!

Ok...I took the jump and ordered the Brinsea Octagon 40, it's on sale for 120.00 off right now.  They are out of stock at the moment, but will ship in January when new stock arrives! 

I picked up my incubator from the post office last night!! Holy...that looks a lot more technical than the old hovabator that I had as a kid... Awesome!! A new toy to play with!

Good purchase... You will love it!

I pasted my Ultimate Hatching Guide on another site. I will put it here too.

You will be so happy with it!

I have no information one way or the other...I am too new to the poultry world. A friend did give us an old incubator (not sure what kind) but I haven't a clue how to run the darn thing. As with all poultry concerns....... I will call 911 Fuzzy. LOL

Haha..I will start a hotline...

Echo, I bumped a post that might help you.

I used a really old Hovabator. The temperature was relatively stable and I never adjusted it. I wrapped the bator in towels for some extra insulation and, when I turned the eggs, I would put the lid back on rotated one side to the left (next time one side to the right). This got the best hatches with a single forceful misting every morning. My hatch rates were upwards of 95%. I am planning to get one.

When I get a bit more serious, I'll go brinsea.

Nice purchase.

I had a mini advance and sold it to buy a bigger one but couldn't afford the Brinsea Octo 20 or 40 so I bought an Hoav bator. Until now it is doing the job except for one thing. today was my first real hatch with the bator full of eggs and it seems that the eggs on one side of the bator hatched and the other side they took longer and not all of them hatched...strange. i have a fan, but maybe the temp didn't circulate correctly with the little plastic boxes I put in to old the chick (that didn't work buy the way they all got out of the boxes   )

isabelle