FAQs at The Incubator Shop

What is the difference between a Hatcher and an Incubator?

The only difference is that one has not got 'egg turning', while the other does.

A Hatcher is a machine which is used solely for the final 3 days of incubation - 'the hatching period'. This is the period where the humidity increases, and you switch the egg turning off.

Hatchers have no egg turning function as eggs are not required to be turned for those final days.

An Incubator is what you use to set your eggs. You put your eggs in from day 1 until 3 days before they are due to hatch at this point if you want you put them in a Hatcher. Automatic incubators have egg turning. You also have incubators which have 'semi-automatic' egg turning and 'manual' egg turning. You can hatch in an incubator but if it has egg turning: remember to turn it off.

Always double-check the title of the machine you are buying before 'checking out'. Our item names are always descriptive and tell you what it is.

For example: Rcom Maru 380 Deluxe Max Hatcher* has 'hatcher' in the title so no egg turning. Whereas Rcom Maru 380 Deluxe MAX Incubator (Automatic) has incubator and automatic in the title meaning it is an incubator with automatic egg turning.

This is the same for Brinsea Ova-Easy Advance Hatcher* Series II - it is a 'hatcher', and the Brinsea Ova Easy 100 Advance Series II Incubator (Automatic) is an incubator with automatic egg turning. So as you can see, our item names really are descriptive.

But, if you are unsure... always contact us.

Do you sell second-hand/refurbished items?

All of the products we supply are Brand new, we do not deal in second hand products, although very occasionally we do have Ex Demonstration products that may have a cosmetic damage or similar. If this is the case we will advertise these at a discounted rate on our website.

Do you take in second-hand machines for part-exchange or cash?

No, we do accept trade-ins of second hand machines or part exchanges. We highly recommend eBay as the best place to sell old incubators and equipment.

What's the best incubator for duck eggs?

We do have numerous incubators suitable for hatching duck eggs, so this very much depends on your budget and egg capacity requirements, but generally speaking Ducks require a greater level of humidity control, so I have listed below a number of machines that are ideal for ducks.

For more Duck Egg Incubators to suit your specific needs, please click here.

What's the best incubator for quail eggs?

We do have numerous incubators suitable for hatching Quail eggs, so this very much depends on your budget and egg capacity requirements, but generally speaking Quail are pretty easy to hatch providing your eggs are fertile and you have carefully followed the product instructions. Listed below are a number of machines that are ideal for Quails.

Other Quail Egg Incubators to suit your specific needs can be found here.

What's the best incubator for goose eggs?

We do have numerous incubators suitable for hatching Goose Eggs, so this very much depends on your budget and egg capacity requirements, Because of the size of Goose Eggs it is important to choose incubators that have a good chick head height, It is also beneficial to ensure correct egg turning although best practice with goose eggs is to also give them an additional turn, end-over-end 2 to 3 times a week.

Listed below are a number of machines that are ideal for Goose.

Other Goose Egg Incubators to suit your specific needs can be found here.

What's the best incubator for falcon eggs?

Incubation and hatching of Falcon and other specialist birds requires far more care and attention to detail then most poultry and waterfowl. It is best to choose machines that have greater control over egg turning and accurate temperature and humidity control.

Listed below are a number of machines that are ideal for Falcons, Parrots and specialist Birds.

Rcom 20 Pro Digital Incubator (Automatic)
Rcom 50 Pro Digital Incubator (Automatic)
Brinsea K7 Raptor Incubator
Brinsea Z 7 Incubator/Hatcher
Brinsea Zoologica Incubator

Other Exotic/Specialist Egg Incubators to suit your specific needs can be found here.

What's the best incubator for Emu or Rhea eggs?

Due to the large size of Emu and Rhea type of eggs, there is not a huge range of machines available in this specialist market. However, the most popular machines for hatching Emu and Rhea are listed below.

Other Emu/Rhea Egg Incubators to suit your specific needs can be found here.

What's the best incubator for schools, or beginners?

Schools generally require machines that are easy to use, offer good visibility and have automatic egg turning.

We have a very large selection of incubators that satisfy all the criteria required for schools and customers new to egg incubation.

Listed below is a selection of those incubators.

We also have a selection of incubation starter packages that are ideal for Schools and people new to incubation. All of these can be found here.

How do I hatch in a Brinsea Ova-Easy?

The Brinsea Ova-Easy incubators are fantastic incubators for those looking to get more out of an incubator with increased hatching capabilities.

There are 3 ways to hatch in an Ova-Easy, the first being what we call 'All in, All out'. You set all your eggs at once and they all hatch at the same time, in situ, on the shelves within the incubator. This can be done in the full range of Ova-Easy incubators: Ova-Easy 100, 190, 380 and 580. You set your eggs and once you come to the final 3 days you turn the egg turning off, level the shelves, remove the dividers, place the lid on the tray and increase the humidity and wait for them to hatch.

The second way is 'Multi-stage incubation'. You set batches of eggs at different points normally roughly a tray a week apart. When a batch reaches the final 3 days, you transfer the eggs into the hatching tray and place in the bottom of the incubator. (This is possible in the Ova-Easy 190 and 380 incubators.). Once you've moved the eggs into the bottom of the incubator, you then replace the tray you removed with a fresh new batch. At this point you have two options. You can 'dry hatch' where you don’t increase the humidity (an option chosen by many breeders, who find it a very successful way of hatching especially in areas where the humidity is naturally already quite high), Or you increase the humidity setting. Don't worry. This won't affect the other eggs you still have turning. Humidity works on an average so it doesn’t have to be exactly on 45% or 50% until hatching. It will only be at a higher level for 3 days, the rest of the time it will be at the lower level as long as you set your eggs far enough apart, but this is also where egg weight loss comes in useful you may find you don’t need to increase the humidity depending on the weight loss.

The final way is to use a separate hatcher. You can use a hatcher whether you are doing 'All in, All out' or 'Multi-stage' incubation. Remove the eggs and place them in a separate incubator for hatching time. This gives you full control of the temperature and humidity without the worry of affecting your other eggs. Ideally, it is always best practice to use a separate incubator to hatch in.

If you need further help please contact us here.