Recently, while scrolling through Instagram, we stumbled across a series of posts from a smallholder in the USA who was running an incubator comparison test. What caught our attention straight away was that it was completely independent — we had no idea it was happening until we saw the posts appear.
As we looked closer, we realised that two of our incubators were included in the line-up. Naturally, we were very curious to see how things would turn out, and it quickly became something we kept checking back on as the different hatches progressed.
Watching the results unfold in real time made for fascinating reading. It’s exactly the kind of honest, real-world testing that’s helpful for anyone interested in hatching — whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been doing it for years.
One thing we always try to explain is that while cheap incubators can seem tempting, they often lead to poor hatch rates and frustration. Many people end up replacing them not long after buying. As the saying goes: “buy cheap, buy twice.”
A big thank you to Berta Little from A Little Rare Flock for allowing us to share her story and the results of her test
‘I recently completed a side-by-side incubator comparison where multiple incubators were run simultaneously using eggs from the same source and shipment so that each machine was working with as consistent a starting point as possible. The goal was to see how different incubators perform in a real-world setting for everyday hatchers.
In this trial I set 89 White Leghorn eggs that were shipped from the Texas A&M University poultry program. I distributed them across several incubators of varying price points, including the ChickCozy, MaticoopX 30, Vevor 24, Nurture Right 360, Brinsea Maxi 24 EX Connect and Brinsea Ovation 56 EX Connect. These represented a range of lower, mid, and higher-priced tabletop incubators commonly used by backyard hatchers. For consistency, each unit was filled to approximately 50% capacity. By day 10, 80 of the eggs were developing, and 77 viable eggs reached lockdown across all machines.
One thing that became very clear during the trial was how important temperature and humidity stability are during the final days of incubation. Some of the lower-cost incubators struggled to maintain consistent conditions during lockdown, which appeared to contribute to losses late in the hatch. The Nurture Right 360 in particular experienced noticeable instability before and during this period and ultimately produced a 10% hatch rate. The Vevor 24 had been relatively stable earlier in incubation but was unable to maintain that same stability during lockdown, resulting in 55% hatch rate. In contrast, the Brinsea units remained extremely stable during this critical period, and their hatch results reflected that reliability. The Ovation 56 EX Connect hatched 26 out of 26 (100%) eggs that reached lockdown, and the Maxi 24 EX Connect hatched 11 out of 12 (92%) – outperforming all other incubators in the trial. Both machines maintained excellent stability throughout incubation and hatch, which allowed for such great success rates.
A feature that I particularly appreciated on the Brinsea units was the Connect app. Being able to monitor temperature, humidity, and turning remotely added a lot of peace of mind during the hatch. It also made it very easy to make small adjustments without needing to open the incubator or navigating the onboard menus. The app made monitoring temperature and humidity much simpler and more convenient throughout the hatch.
Another factor that many people should consider when choosing an incubator is long-term support. Warranty coverage, availability of spare parts, and access to customer service can make a significant difference, particularly for people who plan to hatch regularly. These are important aspects for users to evaluate alongside hatch performance when comparing the different incubator options.’
