Incubator

[CrealCritter]

This isn't the first time I've thought hard about an incubator for turkey eggs. Any recommendations? I've been thinking for a while about the ReptiPro 6000 ---> http://www.incubatorsusa.com/reptipro-6000-incubator-byc.html they say it will hold around 20 turkey eggs with the 2 automatic turner trays.

I'm looking for something that's pretty much "plug -n play" I have no idea what I'm doing... Never used a incubator before.

Or my other option would be to have the turkey hens sit untill the eggs hatch and take the chicks as soon as they hatch to brood my self.

I really wished my burbon reds wouldn't kill their chick but I guess theirs a reason they are an endangered species.

 

[Hinotori]

I haven't done turkey eggs. All I have is a small brinsea octagon

 

[sumi]

I'm a die hard Brinsea fan. Had the same model as Hinotori and I LOVED it. You plug it in, check the temperature is correct, fill the trays with enough water to get the correct humidity and if you have the automatic turner with it, walk away and leave it. All I had to do was check the humidity now and then and top up the water as needed. (You can now get a model with a humidity pump that takes care of that for you as well) I hatched some duck eggs in mine for a friend and got a 100% hatch, though I have never hatched anything except chicken eggs before and got so much conflicting information about the required humidity I was flying blind.

They are a bit pricey, but well worth the money spent.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We have a Hovabator and bought an egg turner as well. Works great. Have used it for turkeys, chickens and ducks. Side note- expect not so great hatch rates, turkeys are notoriously difficult to hatch in incubators. They're difficult birds.

 

[CrealCritter]

We have a Hovabator and bought an egg turner as well. Works great. Have used it for turkeys, chickens and ducks. Side note- expect not so great hatch rates, turkeys are notoriously difficult to hatch in incubators. They're difficult birds.

Yeah I'm finding that out...

Thinking about raising ostriches. Maybe a couple hundred pound ostrich might be enough feed my family for Thanksgiving. I wonder how they taste and what would you bake them in? -:lol

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ducks are easy! Always had great hatch rates with them.

I think there's a reason most people don't raise heritage turkeys... It's not easy! We haven't gotten past 50% hatch rate with turkeys yet. Very sensitive to humidity.

 

[tortoise]

DH made our incubator. Old cooler. Light bulb hooked up with a thermostat. A tiny desk fan. And a quart jar with a rag over the side to act as a wick. We've had pretty good hatch rate. Worst one was about 50% - but we had two 24-hour power outages during that batch due to a tornado.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thinking about raising ostriches. Maybe a couple hundred pound ostrich might be enough feed my family for Thanksgiving. I wonder how they taste and what would you bake them in? -:lol

LOL - I guess they wouldn't fit on my auto-plucker, huh?

 

[CrealCritter]

DH made our incubator. Old cooler. Light bulb hooked up with a thermostat. A tiny desk fan. And a quart jar with a rag over the side to act as a wick. We've had pretty good hatch rate. Worst one was about 50% - but we had two 24-hour power outages during that batch due to a tornado.

Sorry what does "DH" stand for? Daughter's Husband? IDK only a guess - remember I don't get out much

 

[tortoise]

Dear husband. Or Damn husband. One or the other, I can never remember.