Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[WallyG74]

I've been using NR360s for a couple of years now. I did break one but that's because I accidentally slammed it on the hardwood floor (long story but you know when you try to save something from falling and end up making it worse? Yeah, I did that, lol) I probably could have fixed it, it was just the fan but I'm not very good with electrical stuff and I couldn't get my husband to help and I got impatient with it and it ended up in the trash. With that said, 30+ hatches later in the other two NR360s and they're still running perfectly. I started keeping detailed notes on my hatches, some with no bearing on the incubators but they were for my hatches overall.

Copy pasted my past post:

2019 Hatch Rates

3/1/19: 80% (started with 22, 8 infertile, 3 quitters, 11 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator

3/31/19: 100% (started with 22, 4 infertile, No quitters, 18 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator

4/23-4/25/19: 82% (started with 44, 11 infertile, 6 quitters, 27 live chicks) Version 2 & 3 Nurture Right incubators

5/14/19: 100% (started with 11, No infertile, No quitters, 11 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right incubator (started eggs in Little Giant)

5/16/19: 70% (started with 20, No infertile, 6 quitters (1 was a late loss), 14 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator

6/21/19-6/22/19: 64% (started with 33, 11 infertile, 8 quitters (2 were late losses), 14 live chicks) Version 2 & 3 Nurture Right 360 incubators (4 Mottled Orpington chicks died days after hatching, suspect genetic defect in breeding flock)

7/5/19: 100% (started with 4, 2 infertile, No quitters, 2 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right (finished last few days for lockdown and hatch in Little Giant)

7/16/19: 59% (started with 28, 1 infertile, 11 quitters, 16 live chicks) Version 2 & 3 Nurture Right 360 incubators

8/31/19: 88% SHIPPED EGGS (started with 15, 7 infertile, 1 quitter, 7 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right

2020 Hatch Rates

2/18/20: 90% (started with 10, No infertile, 1 quitter, 9 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator
- The 1 quitter was late embryo death, on hatch day, I believe due to large vaulted skull

2/19/20: 100% (started with 12, 2 infertile, No quitters, 10 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right incubator

3/12/20: 91% (started with 12, 1 infertile, 1 quitter, 10 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator
- Repaired 1 cracked egg with wax before setting. Also set 2 oblong eggs, 1 sticky egg (egg white leakage?), 2 porous eggs, and 1 calcium build up egg (calcium build up was infertile, cracked egg quit around day 15-16 possibly due to the wax affecting gas exchange or from bacteria.)

3/23/20: 94% (started with 23, 5 infertile, 1 quitter, 17 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right incubator
- 11 Marans (1 quitter 4 infertile)
- 1 chick looked like the Iowa Blue rooster fertilized, mixed chick
- 12 Silkies (1 infertile)

4/4/20: 64% (started with 24, 10 infertile, 5 quitters, 9 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right, lockdown in IncuView
-12 Marans (1 infertile, 4 quitters)
- 3 of the quitter Marans were late quitters, malpositioned & severely deformed, were not colored like Marans. I suspect a different rooster fertilized.
- 12 CCLs (9 infertile, 1 quitter)

4/10/20: 60% (started with 18, 8 infertile, 4 quitters, 6 live chicks) NR360 V2 & IncuView
- 12 Silkied Bantam Cochins (3 infertile, 3 quitters)
- 6 standard bantam Cochins (5 infertile, 1 quitter)

4/12/20: 92% (started with 27, 1 infertile, 2 quitters, 24 live chicks) NR360 V4 & V3
- Ameraucanas

5/19/20: 38% (started with 13, No infertile, 8 quitters, 5 live chicks) NR360 V3
- BBS Marans
- 1 was a late quitter that was again deformed like the 2 from the previous Marans hatch from this flock.

5/16/20: 60% (started with 12, 7 infertile, 2 quitters, 3 live chicks) NR360 V2
- Whiting True Blue hen under White Japanese Bantam roo
- We thought rooster was sterile this was the 3rd or 4th attempt at setting eggs.

5/28/20 - 5/29/20: 84% (started with 24, 5 infertile, 3 quitters, 16 live chicks) NR360 V2
- Silkies (started with 12, 4 infertile, 2 late quitters malpositioned)
- Millie Fleur D’uccles (started with 12, 1 infertile, 1 late quitter malpositioned)
- In this hatch I accidentally left the turner off for a few days in early incubation and that may have had a hand in the 3 malpositions

6/20/20: 83% SHIPPED EGGS (started with 12, 6 infertile/scrambled, 1 quitter, 5 live chicks)
- 10 Buff English Orpingtons (5 buffs did not start to develop, 1 quitter, 4 hatched)
- 2 Isabella Leghorns (the cracked leghorn egg did not start to develop, 1 hatched)
- So while this was technically an 83% hatch rate on eggs that started developing because there was only 1 quitter, it's 42% overall (5 out of 12 shipped eggs hatched). This was from my scrambled shipment that had detached & saddled air cells, some scrambled, a couple that had started embryo development from being under a broody hen and were then scrambled in shipment DOA, 1 leghorn also had the air cell at the pointed end and was cracked. Considering the mess I started with I'm actually really happy that 5 chicks hatched!

6/25/20: 85% SHIPPED EGGS (started with 24, 3 infertile/scrambled, 3 quitters, 18 live chicks)
- 6 Buff English Orpingtons (2 buffs did not start to develop, 2 quitters)
- 6 Mauve English Orpingtons (1 Mauve did not start to develop, 1 quitter)
- 12 Isabella Leghorns (100% fertility & 100% hatch)

6/29/20: 66% (started with 18, No infertile, 6 quitters, 12 live chicks)
- 1st Generation Olive Eggers (all will hatch out blue, splash Marans roo over black Ameraucanas)

8/1/20: 83% (started with 15, 3 infertile, 2 quitters, 10 live chicks)
- 13 Mottled English Orpingtons possible Lavender, Black, or Chocolate. First hatch from this flock, pullet eggs, some very small. 3 infertile, 1 early quitter, 1 late quitter at hatch malposition from small egg.
- 2 Black Polish, 100% fertility and hatch.

Thanks so much for your reply! I actually remember reading all of your results now! I just didn’t remember that it was you. It’s a pretty long thread. That is really good results. I’ve been so torn over which one to get and I really hope I can at least achieve 50% on this first hatch. It’s funny. Last summer I fought broody hens constantly and now I’m wishing for one!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I’m obviously happy for your results. But, I like to see and hear all I can before buying things I know nothing about. While the good reviews far outweigh the bad reviews, I have to read the bad ones to see what went wrong. I should read back but lazy kinda kicked in. How many hatches have you had with NR360? Some folks were saying that after first hatch the incubator basically crapped out and everything started breaking. Also some said they had to wrap a towel around the incubator in order to achieve proper humidity. I want one. I need it to be a good unit! Any issues like this at all? I definitely don’t want one like I’m borrowing right now. It’s a Farm Innovators 4250. I’m actually experiencing many of the issues that prompted bad reviews on it. Any input would be great!

You're asking the right questions! Great job being thorough with this purchase.

This is my first hatch with with the Nurture Right. I felt good buying it but still opted for the Tractor Supply 2 year extended warranty. It worked out to be a dollar a month. If anything goes wrong with it, or I break it (associate confirmed this), then I get a whole new unit. I don't think I've every bought an extended warranty before or it's been many years. In this case it seemed warranted. So I'm not concerned about the longevity. I figure if it doesn't work out chances are pretty good I'll end up with "a good one" over the next 2 years.

These Govees are new for me. So far so good. These Govees and Nurture Right have been compared side by side with two other thermometers that I trust, calibrated, and have hatches successfully with for 3 years.

I also happen to have a Farm Innovation 4250. I've hatched hundreds of chicks in it. It is very FIDDLY. Don't overload it. It says it's good for like 40+ eggs or something but I've only had good hatching using the very middle of the incubator. Which is like 20-25 eggs tops. It's will overheat in a heartbeat if the temperature sensor drops down below the eggs. Now I tape it to an egg to guarantee it won't happen. It gets the job done but honestly I hate it. I'm going to be giving it away this season. I can't even bring myself to sell it. It's that bad.

 

[WallyG74]

You're asking the right questions! Great job being thorough with this purchase.

This is my first hatch with with the Nurture Right. I felt good buying it but still opted for the Tractor Supply 2 year extended warranty. It worked out to be a dollar a month. If anything goes wrong with it, or I break it (associate confirmed this), then I get a whole new unit. I don't think I've every bought an extended warranty before or it's been many years. In this case it seemed warranted. So I'm not concerned about the longevity. I figure if it doesn't work out chances are pretty good I'll end up with "a good one" over the next 2 years.

These Govees are new for me. So far so good. These Govees and Nurture Right have been compared side by side with two other thermometers that I trust, calibrated, and have hatches successfully with for 3 years.

I also happen to have a Farm Innovation 4250. I've hatched hundreds of chicks in it. It is very FIDDLY. Don't overload it. It says it's good for like 40+ eggs or something but I've only had good hatching using the very middle of the incubator. Which is like 20-25 eggs tops. It's will overheat in a heartbeat if the temperature sensor drops down below the eggs. Now I tape it to an egg to guarantee it won't happen. It gets the job done but honestly I hate it. I'm going to be giving it away this season. I can't even bring myself to sell it. It's that bad.

I tried to use a little foresight with the 4250. I only put 14 eggs in to start and used the most middle square section possible. I’m constantly checking it. The day counter doesn’t work and the hygrometer is way off. I have a separate hygrometer that I stuck in there. Amazingly the temp is spot on. We’re only at day 3 so lots of waiting and looking to go.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I tried to use a little foresight with the 4250. I only put 14 eggs in to start and used the most middle square section possible. I’m constantly checking it. The day counter doesn’t work and the hygrometer is way off. I have a separate hygrometer that I stuck in there. Amazingly the temp is spot on. We’re only at day 3 so lots of waiting and looking to go.

It sounds like you've got a good handle on things. The temp was accurate on mine too as long as the sensor was correctly placed. Keep that rock solid and you'll have chicks in 18 days.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thanks so much for your reply! I actually remember reading all of your results now! I just didn’t remember that it was you. It’s a pretty long thread. That is really good results. I’ve been so torn over which one to get and I really hope I can at least achieve 50% on this first hatch. It’s funny. Last summer I fought broody hens constantly and now I’m wishing for one!

It's no problem! Honestly, I've been tinkering with my hatches so much over the past couple of years that I'm sure some of what I do now is different from back then anyway. The more you hatch, the more you learn after all! When I first started hatching I was really picky about what eggs I set. Now I've intentionally done experiments with less desirable eggs. It lowers my overall hatch rate but I feel like I learn so much when I "hatch outside the box". lol

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Hi NR 360 fans!
Posted this on the Feb Hatch-along, but have not had any responses yet and I am impatient to know!
What is the NR 360 default turing frequency?
I have only used it as a hatcher until now. Can the interval be adjusted? I could find no info in the included instructions! Thanks!

 

[WallyG74]

Hi NR 360 fans!
Posted this on the Feb Hatch-along, but have not had any responses yet and I am impatient to know!
What is the NR 360 default turing frequency?
I have only used it as a hatcher until now. Can the interval be adjusted? I could find no info in the included instructions! Thanks!

I read through the instructions online that TSC published for the unit and it had nothing about turning frequency.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Hi NR 360 fans!
Posted this on the Feb Hatch-along, but have not had any responses yet and I am impatient to know!
What is the NR 360 default turing frequency?
I have only used it as a hatcher until now. Can the interval be adjusted? I could find no info in the included instructions! Thanks!

You know....I can't remember. lol! I really felt like it turned more often than other incubators though. I'll have to dig through my NR360 info when I get a free moment. I'm sure it says somewhere.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I read through the instructions online that TSC published for the unit and it had nothing about turning frequency.

You know....I can't remember. lol! I really felt like it turned more often than other incubators though. I'll have to dig through my NR360 info when I get a free moment. I'm sure it says somewhere.

Thanks! So I am not the only one who could not find it!
Maybe it does not matter, as long as the eggs are being turned.
I am used to the Brinsea, which can be adjusted from 45 minutes to 3 hour turning frequency.

 

[Willow2253]

I believe it’s supposed to turn every hour, but I noticed mine going off more like every hour and 15 minutes.