How to Buy an Egg Incubator

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methods

1Choosing the Right Incubator

2Selecting Incubator Features

3Getting Fertile Eggs

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Questions & Answers

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Article Summary

Egg incubators are most often used to incubate and hatch chicken eggs, as well as other types of fowl eggs such as duck or turkey eggs. Whether you are a beginner and just want to hatch your own chickens at home, or you are a farmer and you want to commercially breed fowl, it’s important to choose the right incubator, select a model with useful features, and get fertile eggs to ensure your success. Go with cheaper manual incubators with fewer features if you are on a budget, or purchase a fully-automatic incubator to achieve the highest hatch rates for your chicks!

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Choosing the Right Incubator

1. 
   1
   Choose an incubator for the type of fowl you want to hatch. Some incubators are designed to only hold one size of egg, while other incubators can be modified with different sizes of trays. Think about whether you just want to hatch a single type of fowl, or if you want to be able to hatch a variety of species and choose an appropriate incubator for your goals.

   • Smaller incubators generally have more limitations as to what types of eggs you can hatch in them. Larger models are often suitable for any sizes and types of eggs.
2. 
   2
   Buy a manual incubator if you are on a budget. Manual incubators come with the least amount of features, but are the most economic option. You will have to be available to turn the eggs 3 times a day every day before they're within 72 hours of hatching.

   • Keep in mind that cheaper incubators may be more expensive in the long run because of factors like lower hatch rates.
3. 
   3
   Purchase an automatic incubator if you don’t have time to turn the eggs. Fully automatic incubators will do all the work for you by rotating the eggs at the right times throughout the day. Just refill the water tray in the incubator according to the manufacturer’s instructions and let the incubator do the rest.

   • Automatic incubators take a lot of the guesswork out of hatching and will have higher hatch rates than manual incubators.
4. 
   4
   Select an incubator that is big enough to hatch the number of chicks you want. Think about what your goals are. Choose a small incubator with a 3-10 egg capacity if you are just a beginner or a hobbyist, and an incubator with a capacity of more than 500 if you want to be a big commercial producer.

   • Egg incubators range in price from less than $100 USD for small home incubators, to thousands of dollars for commercial-grade incubators. Consider your budget as you select an incubator for your needs.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Selecting Incubator Features

1. 
   1
   Choose a model that has built-in electronic temperature and humidity controls. The temperature and humidity inside of the incubator are very important to successfully hatch chicks. Get an automatic incubator with electronic controls that you can use to automatically regulate these factors.

   • Many automatic incubators come with preset settings for hatching chicken eggs. You can modify the settings for other types of eggs.
   • Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for setting and regulating the temperature and humidity.
2. 
   2
   Buy a forced-air incubator to evenly distribute air, temperature, and humidity. Fan forced-air incubators are superior to still air incubators because they evenly circulate air around the eggs. Choose a fan forced-air incubator to improve the hatch rate of your chicks.

   • Still air incubators rely on vents to allow air into the incubator and do not as evenly distribute airflow, temperature, and humidity as forced-air incubators with fans do.
3. 
   3
   Get an incubator that is made out of hard plastic for the best functionality. Look at the materials of different incubators you are considering buying. Choose a model that is made out of high-quality plastic rather than cheap plastic or styrofoam.

   • Styrofoam and cheap plastic incubators do not work as well, are less durable, and harder to clean.
4. 
   4
   Choose an incubator that is easy to clean. Remember that hatching is a messy process and you will have to clean out your incubator manually once you remove the hatched chicks. Look at the construction of incubators that you are considering, and select one that will be easy to clean and doesn’t have any impossible to reach nooks and crannies.

   • It’s important to thoroughly clean and sanitize your incubator between hatches to avoid contamination.
5. 
   5
   Buy an incubator with a transparent cover or window if you want to observe. When you open an incubator to check on the eggs because it has no observation window, you risk interfering with the temperature and humidity. This will often reduce the hatch rate, so purchase a model that allows you to see the eggs clearly if you want to be able to check on them safely.

   • Many smaller models come with a completely transparent cover. These are a good option if you are just starting hatching as a hobby at home and want to be able to observe with your family.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting Fertile Eggs

1. 
   1
   Use your own eggs if you already have a flock with roosters. Most of the eggs should be fertile if you have both chickens and roosters. Crack open 1-2 eggs and look for a small white circle that looks like a bullseye in the yolk to determine if your eggs are fertile.

   • If you only see a small white spot but no bullseye, then the eggs are not fertile.
   • Try to use only clean eggs for incubation. Do not clean eggs prior to incubating them.
   • Don’t use eggs that are overly small or large, or that have cracked shells or other deformities.
2. 
   2
   Buy fertile eggs from a local breeder if you are just starting out. Find a farmer or chicken breeder as close to your home as possible and ask to buy some fertile eggs. Some agricultural feed supply stores sell fertile eggs as well in the spring.

   • If possible, try to see the chickens from which you are acquiring fertile eggs. The best eggs for hatching come from chickens that are kept free-range and in healthy environments.
3. 
   3
   Order fertile eggs from a supplier online if you cannot get any near you. Search online for an egg provider that will ship to you. Keep in mind that the transportation of eggs can damage some of them and cause them not to hatch.

   • Let any eggs that were shipped to you rest for 24 hours before you incubate them to allow the contents to settle.
   • Never incubate eggs from different types of birds together. You cannot hatch chickens with ducks, for example.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  Can I get an incubator that hatches 1500 eggs, and how much would it cost me?

  

  Community Answer

  I don't think there are incubators that big. You could definitely buy two large ones for a little over $1K though, if you want to do that. If not, you could buy/borrow broody hens and a rooster and boom, you have the original incubators.

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