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Incubator Discussion...

J

-JayDog-

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With breeding season apon us, I've notice this topic coming up alot. This is my first time breeding and I'm sure a lot of new or inexperienced breeders would like to hear comments from experianced breeders on incubators.

How good is the "Hova-Bator Termal Airflow" incubator?

Now from what I've read, this is supposed to be the best and least expensive incubator on the market. But recently I've read a lot of negative comments on it and wanted to start a thread were people gave their comments and opinions on this popular incubator. This will help myself and any other people looking to buy an incubator.

Thank you very much,
Jason
 
I tried for the first time last year to breed my leos(just a pair)
and tried incubating the eggs with one of the home made incubators I read on the internet. I can't remember the source. Anyway the eggs failed to hatch. This year I bought a Hovabator and have two clutches of eggs in there right now. This works for me since I'm just a small scale hobbyist, I couldn't afford or even need a large scale incubator, I'm sure this is true of others.
Good Question. :)
 
The Hovabator worked great for me last year so I bought an additional one for this year's season. My only problem with it was that I dont have Central Air and in the summer heat I was always having to adjust the temp because if your room temp goes up so does your incubator temp! BUt for the money, it works great!
 
Another question to add to this:

If the Hova-Bator temp can change based on the room temp, do you think using a simple theremostat and a digital thermometer will help?

with an accurate digital thermometer used as double checker then maybe calibrating the incubator with the thermostat will help prevent the temp swings that some people have. Just a thought.
 
-JayDog- said:
With breeding season apon us, I've notice this topic coming up alot. This is my first time breeding and I'm sure a lot of new or inexperienced breeders would like to hear comments from experianced breeders on incubators.

How good is the "Hova-Bator Termal Airflow" incubator?

Now from what I've read, this is supposed to be the best and least expensive incubator on the market. But recently I've read a lot of negative comments on it and wanted to start a thread were people gave their comments and opinions on this popular incubator. This will help myself and any other people looking to buy an incubator.

Thank you very much,
Jason
Click to expand...

I also want to know this... maybe I want to order it from the internet. Here in the netherlands they all use a home made one or one who is really expencive.. (125 euro = 165 dollar)
 
FYI.

Avey Incubators sells a digital Hovabator that is suppose to be better than the wafer model. I don't have one but plan on giving one a try. You were complaining about the regular model holding the temperature steady, the following statement from their website implies the problem is solved;

"The Hovabator with a solid state thermostat overcomes the negative comments from past users that complained that the temperature setpoint couldn't be maintained. Our solid state hovabator holds the temperature within 1/2 of a degree! $169.00"

http://www.hatchchondro.com/other_incubator_choices.htm

Don Flickner
Cincinnati, Ohio
 
Since Jaydog has brought this up, I've also been curious...do any of you use thermostats with your incubators?
 
I've had luck with hovabators for leo and african fat tail eggs but i havent ever used it for anything else, thier is a website i think its www.arbreptiles.com and it shows how to make an incubator out of a refridgerator and it looks really easy. you can make an incubator out of just about anything if you insulate it and have heat tape and a thermostat.
 
I would never buy a hova again.... I bought two of them years ago..... Hatch rate was not as good as it is in my home made incubators..... The temp in a hova moves up and down way too much..... The only thing that works good in the hova is the actual heating element..... The overall design of the hova is alittle less than ok at best...... I took the heating element from the two hovas I had and put them in a wine fridge and I use a thermostat instead of that waffer......
2767.JPG

2768.JPG


Here is an example of what I built..... This one only slides up and down 1 half of a degree no matter what the outside temp is.....
 
Very nice... I have thought of a wine cooler myself!!! Glad to see I am not alone in that thought (my wife thinks some of my ideas are a bit crazy!) I have used Hovabators in the past (I have 5 of them)but since moving to AZ I find the temp fluxes are HUGE! Last year I just kept the eggs in vermiculite filled containers in the hot reptile room since the temps were in the high 90's for females and others in the cool reptile room for incubating males since it is pretty stable around 83- 84 degrees. both worked out pretty good.
 
A plain ole mini fridge would work but a wine cooler has a window which means easier to view!
 
A mini fridge will do fine..... I like the glass front on the wine fridge because I do not have to open the door every time I want to check on the eggs..... Less heat loss through out the incubation...... Ofcorse I have to open the containers once in a while for oxygen exchanges but the glass front makes it a bit easier and I feel it makes for better incubation not having to disturb the containers all the time....
 
montezuma said:
Very nice... I have thought of a wine cooler myself!!! Glad to see I am not alone in that thought (my wife thinks some of my ideas are a bit crazy!) I have used Hovabators in the past (I have 5 of them)but since moving to AZ I find the temp fluxes are HUGE! Last year I just kept the eggs in vermiculite filled containers in the hot reptile room since the temps were in the high 90's for females and others in the cool reptile room for incubating males since it is pretty stable around 83- 84 degrees. both worked out pretty good.
Click to expand...


Gene don't you mean the hot room for males and the cooler room for the females?

Dang that wine cooler incubator is nice! I just don't know eggs? wine? eggs? wine? hmmmmm I'll have to think about that.....while I sip this glass of nice cab.
 
Actually Overton, I incubate my males low and my females high as I typed previously. I DID incorrectly type high 90's when I meant to type high 80's. My females are certainly incubated on the warmer side but I have AC and coolers in the room that keep the temps down so that I don't end up incubating "hot" females.
 
Gregg.....

Can you send one of those heated wine coolers my way???? LOL

I would love to have one of those. Unfortunately, I am not handly when it comes to electronics or stuff like that. Do you have instructions on how to do it?


Hovabators are ok if the temperature in the room is stable. Mine fluxuates +/- 3 or 4 degrees.
 
Ditto on being "not handy"!!!!! I would never trust an incubator made by me :uhh: I'd have hard boiled eggs...

My hovabator fluctuates 2 degrees very predictably - I'm pretty happy with it.
 
Jeanne, I can draw up plans, scan them and the send them over to you..... It cost me less than 100 bucks to build it...... It will be cheaper if you bargan hunt..... Money is no object to me....LOL..... I wish....
 
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