What incubators are you using?

W

-Wildcat-

Super Moderator
Just curious as to what you boys are using as incubators. Where did you get them, how much did they cost you... etc. Also, what's your thoughts on an acceptable smaller incubator for say, 50 eggs?
 
When I was a kid we used a shoe box with a christmas tree bulb with great success with quail, need a thermometer and a small bowl of water. The best smaller incubator at a price is the Hovabator, get one with an auto turner, and egg racks to fit your bird, small chicken for pheasant, quail specific for them. Shouldn't set you back more than $55-75 dollars. They are foam and a little fragile, but do a great job, almost idiot proof. Beyond that you may as well go to the GQF cabinet hatchers/ incubators. Pricey, take a lot of space. Brooding becomes the big issue even with small numbers, we use a rubbermaid fiberglass 300 gallon stock tank, plug the drain, heat with hanging brooder lights, we use newspapers for the floor for a few days, then use clean sand, changed every couple a days, tank does an excellent job of circulating heat and insulating. By two or three weeks you'll need a wire cover. I keep them there till they have hard feathers, gradually reducing, but not eliminating the heat entirely. Then off to the Johnny House, but remain unreleased for recall, till about 10 weeks. Pheasants need more room both in the incubator, about 30 to 50, and especially the brooder. Then a flight pen for naturalization, I have heard people claim pheasants will recall, but my experience is they will stay in the area of the pen but never again surrender willingly like quail. Got wordy!Probably more than you wanted to know.
 
oldandnew said:
Probably more than you wanted to know.
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Absolutely not! Thanks for the information. :thumbsup: I'll look into the Hovabator and let you know what I think. I'd like to raise some quail (at least, possibly some pheasant or chukar) for fall training. Birds are getting so expensive to buy, you may as well raise them yourself if you have the room.
 
Not only expensive, but just plain hard to find! You can even buy pheasant chicks and get em raised for an average of about 4.00, all costs considered. Quail around 2.00. Starting with eggs reduces this further.
 
Little Giant makes a cheap one for about 80$ styro foam you have to turn, close to 100 eggs. I have one and it did OK for a learning lesson. I now have a GQF Sportsman. I turns and holds water, and 354 eggs in the trays. I can get creative and put in 400. Nice unit for someone wanting to hatch 3-6 hundred chicks. It is a few hundred bucks but I got it used from a grower for 125.
 
FCSpringer said:
Little Giant makes a cheap one for about 80$ styro foam you have to turn, close to 100 eggs. I have one and it did OK for a learning lesson. I now have a GQF Sportsman. I turns and holds water, and 354 eggs in the trays. I can get creative and put in 400. Nice unit for someone wanting to hatch 3-6 hundred chicks. It is a few hundred bucks but I got it used from a grower for 125.
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That is interesting. Thanks for the information Ken. I'll have to do some checking, but the cost to production ratio seems much better with the model you're using. Considering I've never attempted raising birds before, I may need the additional eggs to have a decent brood when I'm finished. :)
 
Brower model 846, have two of them going right now. They hold about a 100 eggs each. I had a Gooser which would hold like a 1000 eggs. Long story, I kind of gave it away. My mistake!!
 
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Mine is basically a GQF sportsmen. I built it and just bought the motors! Trays are hand built as well. Three large trays that self turn and a hatch tray on the bottom. Double thermostat in case one fails!! Made from 3/4 inch ply !!! Heavy SOB !!!!
 
BleuBijou said:
Mine is basically a GQF sportsmen. I built it and just bought the motors! Trays are hand built as well. Three large trays that self turn and a hatch tray on the bottom. Double thermostat in case one fails!! Made from 3/4 inch ply !!! Heavy SOB !!!!
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I built a hatcher about the same way to go with our 1502 and old 1202 GQF Sportsmans. We added wheels to them and side carry handles for moving around the shop. They are heavy!!;):cheers:
 
Those are digital, mine is not, and they are around 300 not 200. But that was 10 years ago. They maybe don't even make them any more. I would love to convert mine to digital with a humidistadt. Check craigslist and ebay etc.
 
Yep mine is a 1202, and I see they are now selling for more then I paid by twice. I should have bought all 18 she had.:D I seen a few on CL for 350-400. But in all you pay 1 buck a peice for chicks so 2 years or even 1 it can pay for it self. I have hatched thousands from mine now for 125 I think I paid. I would pay 525 for the new ones on ebay if this one ever crapped out. Still works great.:thumbsup: 28 days will tell now.
 
oldandnew said:
Not only expensive, but just plain hard to find! You can even buy pheasant chicks and get em raised for an average of about 4.00, all costs considered. Quail around 2.00. Starting with eggs reduces this further.
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I'd sure like to know how you manage that.:confused: Chicks are a $1.50 ea. at best, and that's without shipping cost. Eggs are less, but still $.50 each. A bag of medicated starter feed is $25 for 50 lbs. bag, and they eat a lot of it in 6 weeks. Then there is the flight developer at only a few dollars a bag less. for the next 12 weeks. We haven't even begun to figure in the cost of pens. A good flight pen alone will set you back hundreds of dollars. Brood house, and rearing pens aren't cheap either.
 
Old Dog said:
I'd sure like to know how you manage that.:confused: Chicks are a $1.50 ea. at best, and that's without shipping cost. Eggs are less, but still $.50 each. A bag of medicated starter feed is $25 for 50 lbs. bag, and they eat a lot of it in 6 weeks. Then there is the flight developer at only a few dollars a bag less. for the next 12 weeks. We haven't even begun to figure in the cost of pens. A good flight pen alone will set you back hundreds of dollars. Brood house, and rearing pens aren't cheap either.
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Wow, thats high. I get chicks here for 50 c - 1$. eggs for 10 c - free, medicated starter at 13 a bag. Just bought a 125 hens for 6 bucks each. Nice birds, very nice.
 
I bought a Humidair 200 incubator off craigs' list last summer for $300

Quail eggs get cheaper the more you buy. I got 1000 for around $225.

I Have the AG. kids at school take care of them. Pay $12 for Purina Startena.
 
We just bought another GQF 1502 ,12 quail racks and auto water.
I buy my quail eggs from Cumberland out of KY 1200 for 235.00
I have a local guy for pheasant eggs and he has some wild acting birds and the eggs 30 cents each when he has his incubators full .
I have several request from 2 put take outfits for several 1000 birds a month, going to give it a try.:confused:
 
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