Cheap Chinese incubator. Is it worth it??

[CrazyChookLady5]

hi thinking of getting this incubator. It doesn’t have a name and is just a cheap Chinese model. Has anyone brought one and what do you think??

 

[3riverschick]

Hi ,
looked at the specs of these a while back. from what I could find out from the reviews it's hard to keep a stable temperature. you have to like cover them or keep fiddling with it. I don't know how much you want to spend for an incubator but I would suggest a Genesis 1588 I think. I think that's a real good incubator.
Karen in PA USA

 

[JaeG]

I've got a cheap octagonal chinese incubator. I wrap it in a blanket if the air temperature is a bit cool and I have a bottle of water in there to help keep the temperature stable. I've successfully hatched many Japanese and Button quail in it despite a few temperature fluctuations (mostly due to the cat sleeping on top of it and turning the dial)! And I've even hatched a parakeet egg in it. It's basic, easy to clean and inexpensive. Mine has recently been running for more than 2 months straight without issue.

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

Hi ,
looked at the specs of these a while back. from what I could find out from the reviews it's hard to keep a stable temperature. you have to like cover them or keep fiddling with it. I don't know how much you want to spend for an incubator but I would suggest a Genesis 1588 I think. I think that's a real good incubator.
Karen in PA USA

Yeah ok. I have been looking at those incubators you recommend but just want something for a low price might have to just bite the bullet and get a expesive one :/

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

I've got a cheap octagonal chinese incubator. I wrap it in a blanket if the air temperature is a bit cool and I have a bottle of water in there to help keep the temperature stable. I've successfully hatched many Japanese and Button quail in it despite a few temperature fluctuations (mostly due to the cat sleeping on top of it and turning the dial)! And I've even hatched a parakeet egg in it. It's basic, easy to clean and inexpensive. Mine has recently been running for more than 2 months straight without issue.

Yeah ok! Sounds like you’ve had an alright experience with them.
I prefer to do the dry method with incubating. Do you reckon keeping up moisture all the way through and not doing the dry method is better for the cheap incubators?

 

[JaeG]

Yeah ok! Sounds like you’ve had an alright experience with them.
I prefer to do the dry method with incubating. Do you reckon keeping up moisture all the way through and not doing the dry method is better for the cheap incubators?

Whether you can do a dry hatch or not depends on your local weather conditions. Mine ran out of water the other day and the humidity had dropped to 24% (way too low for Button quail eggs). But I can't fill either of the wells in my incubator as it makes the humidity much too high for the first stage, so I have a small container I fill up until lockdown - then filling both wells gives me a nice high humidity of around 75% which I need as I have to lift the whole top off to take out any chicks (Button quail chicks need to be taken out reasonably quickly after hatching).

 

[ramboas93]

I had one, worked just fine, just used it in the Styrofoam packaging it came in, to help keep steady temp, i have read alot reviews on the temperature reader in them are crap and sometimes are off(so you will have to adjust temp accordingly not huge deal), so i would suggest checking with a thermometer to make sure its accurate and checking to make sure humidity is right to, mine was. I honestly i liked to better than the more expensive one i had made out of Styrofoam like the one mentioned above cause it sturdier dont have to worry about mishap destroying your Styrofoam incubator or little bumps here and their chipping away at the Styrofoam over time(not saying plastic is indestructible but it can take more of a beating then Styrofoam) and cleans up easier and better for storage afterwards. Did have the heating element go out after few hatches but just ordered new heating element for few bucks and hatched out few more hatches since then without problem. Styrofoam works great for insulting i admit but its pretty cheap and easy to buy a block of Styrofoam and make a cut out for the plastic incubator to sit in(which i had to once cause i stepped on the Styrofoam packaging it came in).

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

Whether you can do a dry hatch or not depends on your local weather conditions. Mine ran out of water the other day and the humidity had dropped to 24% (way too low for Button quail eggs). But I can't fill either of the wells in my incubator as it makes the humidity much too high for the first stage, so I have a small container I fill up until lockdown - then filling both wells gives me a nice high humidity of around 75% which I need as I have to lift the whole top off to take out any chicks (Button quail chicks need to be taken out reasonably quickly after hatching).

Oh really? I didn’t know that! I should do it the normal way then cos we are pretty dry around my area.
Do you mind showing me some photos of your set up? If you have it set up still.

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

I had one, worked just fine, just used it in the Styrofoam packaging it came in, to help keep steady temp, i have read alot reviews on the temperature reader in them are crap and sometimes are off(so you will have to adjust temp accordingly not huge deal), so i would suggest checking with a thermometer to make sure its accurate and checking to make sure humidity is right to, mine was. I honestly i liked to better than the more expensive one i had made out of Styrofoam like the one mentioned above cause it sturdier dont have to worry about mishap destroying your Styrofoam incubator or little bumps here and their chipping away at the Styrofoam over time(not saying plastic is indestructible but it can take more of a beating then Styrofoam) and cleans up easier and better for storage afterwards. Did have the heating element go out after few hatches but just ordered new heating element for few bucks and hatched out few more hatches since then without problem. Styrofoam works great for insulting i admit but its pretty cheap and easy to buy a block of Styrofoam and make a cut out for the plastic incubator to sit in(which i had to once cause i stepped on the Styrofoam packaging it came in).

Thanks for the help! I’m leaning more to getting one now. They are like 1/4 if the price of any other incubator I can find!and I don’t hatch very often so don’t really want to buy an expensive bator that I hardly use.

 

[Josh L.]

I used the cheap ones for my first few hatches, and its kind of nerve-wracking to have to constantly keep an eye on the temp and humidity, but now i have a Little Giant "Still Air Incubator" (that's what its called, nothing fancy). Its a little Styrofoam bator with vent holes and it keeps a really nice, steady temp and humidity, and that has been perfect fr me.
I'm in the process of hatching Muscovy ducks in it right now, and the temp has currently only fluxed between 98.9-100, but stayed in the safe range very well. It's impressive for a little thing from Tractor Supply, but I'd give it a 5/5 for a beginner and intermediate incubator.
I had to buy three of the cheap ones because they kept crapping out on me. Be VERY careful with them, and if you're possibly going to have more hatches in the future, I would be inclined to direct you to the Little Giant as a more expensive (But still cheap in incubator terms) but better alternative..