Incubator recommendations for chicks?

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soloequestrian

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I'm planning to hatch some hen eggs this summer. I've done it several times before using a broody but this year I'm down to three adult hens and have little faith that any of them will sit. Does anyone have any recommendations for an incubator and maybe also for a brooder? It seems you can pay anything you like for any combination of features. I'm wondering what is important and what you get if you pay more money? Thanks!
 
How much do you want to pay? The more you pay the better your temperature and humidity will be.
I’ve got an MS 35 which is by far the best I’ve ever had, but I bought it back when I was hatching to sell.
As for brooder, a ceramic bulb and a mop head in an indoor guinea pig cage is perfect.
 
I'd prefer to pay as little as possible but given what I've seen with the speed second hand ones go off Marketplace perhaps I should just get a good one and then sell it on. My friend was going to lend me hers but she can't find it. Can you tell me more about the mop and bulb set up?!
 
Ceramic heat lamp hanging at the height it’s pleasantly warm on the back of your hand at chick height.
String mop head tied up near it so chicks can hide in the string. But not get tangled!
If you put a shout out on fb someone may well hatch them for you. Where are you? (Roughly)
 
I'm in NE Scotland. I'm quite keen to do the hatch myself - really enjoyed it with the broody hens. I'm a bit nervous about the bit after the hatch - I'm used to them having a mum to show them what to do. I wonder if any of the adult hens will help them?
 
Lurking with interest. I really hope you find a good incubator, soloequestrian! I'm trying to convince my husband that we really need chickens in our life.
 
How are your eggs coming along, soloequestrian? My friend lent me her fancy Borotto incubator and now I'm sitting next to it and twiddling my thumbs. Time seems to really slow down during incubation. We have mostly light Sussex eggs in there, with a couple of Easter Eggers.1000054919.jpg
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I've tried several, most were crap and lots of late deaths, even with humidity and temp set bang on. The only one I have had success with was a small basic Brinsea. Only took 6 chicken large breed eggs but over the years I hatched out ducks, chickens and 60 pheasants. It finally gave up on me and I now have 2 silkie pullets, one is sitting on black shouldered peacock eggs, see how that goes. I have given up with incubators, more trouble than they are worth and chucked the last one in the bin. Unless you get a top of the range all singing and dancing one you may struggle.. Friends who are also breeders like me, say the same, very bad last 2 years for hatching in incubators, we are all going to go for natural hatching instead.
 
It should be pip day today - the incubator is difficult to see into though so I won't know until something really obvious happens. My inexpert candelling suggests that quite a lot of the eggs have developed so fingers crossed! I have done several hatches with broody hens in the past - the first few, with Araucana mothers, were great but last year the mixed breed mum only hatched one even though many of the eggs had developed - I don't know what went wrong. I would happily go back to natural hatching but no broodys at the moment...
 
soloequestrian said:
It should be pip day today - the incubator is difficult to see into though so I won't know until something really obvious happens. My inexpert candelling suggests that quite a lot of the eggs have developed so fingers crossed! I have done several hatches with broody hens in the past - the first few, with Araucana mothers, were great but last year the mixed breed mum only hatched one even though many of the eggs had developed - I don't know what went wrong. I would happily go back to natural hatching but no broodys at the moment...
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How did it go, soloequestrian? Fingers crossed all went well. 🥰
 
Five hatched out of 18 eggs so not great but not a disaster. All the ones that died did so well before hatching time and I wonder if it was because they were too near the washing machine and the vibrations got them... fairly weak hypothesis but it's the only one I have! If I can get more eggs I might try another batch in another location.
 
soloequestrian said:
Five hatched out of 18 eggs so not great but not a disaster. All the ones that died did so well before hatching time and I wonder if it was because they were too near the washing machine and the vibrations got them... fairly weak hypothesis but it's the only one I have! If I can get more eggs I might try another batch in another location.
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5 isn’t bad at all, especially if the eggs were posted.
I hope all girls for you!
 
soloequestrian said:
I'm in NE Scotland. I'm quite keen to do the hatch myself - really enjoyed it with the broody hens. I'm a bit nervous about the bit after the hatch - I'm used to them having a mum to show them what to do. I wonder if any of the adult hens will help them?
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No, definitely don’t let your adult hens anywhere near them. They are likely to attack.
 
They managed to jump out of their run yesterday (it's a metre high but that didn't seem to slow them down) and met one of the adults. She didn't bother them at all so I hope just having lots of space will mean they all settle in together.
 
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