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Inexpensive Large Capacity Incubator

SPJ

SPJ

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I am looking for a relatively large capacity (holds at least 20 eggs) incubator that is fairy inexpensive.
I am looking to get one very soon but it needs to be kinda cheap (and reliable) since I am pressed for time and won't be able to save up enough for an expensive one in time.
Can anyone recommend one that fits the bill?
No hovabators or replicas. They will never hold enough eggs.
Thanks a bunch.
 
I have 5 clutches of ball python eggs in 1 HovaBator right now. It's set up substrateless. It's been working beautifully for me all season. Cinnies are hatching right now.
Herpstat thermostat on it.

They are not small clutches. The average size is 8 eggs. So, I think you may be underestimating the capacity of a HovaBator.
(Now, if you used egg boxes in the thing, you could never do that...but HovaBators are really too short to put egg boxes in anyhow).

It does depend on what type of eggs you're fitting in there. '20 eggs' is a bit vague, we don't know if you mean corn snake or reticulated python.

If you find anything larger than a HovaBator that is actually inexpensive, let me know. I've been looking for years.
Animal Plastics has a new incubator that holds sixteen 12 quart tubs, but it is $799, which I would not consider inexpensive, personally. That doesn't include the thermostat, which would be another $100.

Assuming that's 16 clutches, I can fit that into 4 Hovabators for only $600 including the thermostats. All my eggs aren't in one basket (so to speak), and if one of them breaks (most likely literally, since they're styrofoam--the heat coil seems pretty bullet-proof), it's only 40 or 50 bucks to replace it.

Definitely consider all your options. From what I've seen, it's not truly worth it to move up to a larger incubator until you get into the REALLY big ones.

I wouldn't be suggesting it, except that I've tried several different solutions, and every year, the HovaBators with the herpstats hold the temperatures and humidity better than any of them, and give me perfect hatch rates. I finally decided, why mess with what works? Now that I've gone substrateless in them, I can fit crazy numbers of eggs in the things. I use two of them, and if clutches are laid close together, I just put one in each incubator, so I don't mix the hatchlings up when they come out. I write the female's names on the eggs, lol.
I'll probably need to buy another one next year. I have a Repti-Bator, I guess I might try nursing that thing along with some vermiculite, instead (useless thing doesn't hold humidity over 80% even with all the holes siliconed).

Go for it, if you're sure you want something different, but I recommend giving the ol' Hovabator an actual try before you make your final decision. Unless you're incubating reticulated python eggs.
 
forgive the reply to an old post but how do you make it work going substrate-less? What I'm picturing can't be right, just eggs packed in vermiculite directly on heat tape...but I haven't seen a hovabator in years
 
The hovabator has a deep styrofoam base with some drainage holes. Over this, you place a plastic water reservoir insert (comes with it). The Hovabator also comes with a metal mesh insert that goes over this, sitting on a recessed ledge above the water reservoir. This is meant to hold the eggs. I simply cut a piece of fluorescent light grid to fit, and placed it on this ledge, and put water in the reservoir. The eggs were arranged directly on top of the plastic grid, above the water.

Heat in the Hovabator comes from metal elements in the lid (exactly like the 'Repti-bator), so it comes from above. I put the thermostat probe resting on a pile of eggs, and it worked perfectly. The Herpstat was able to hold the temperature with less than 1 degree variance when room temps were stable, and about a 1 degree variance when they were not. It's the most stable incubator arrangement I've ever used, and I had truly excellent hatch rates. My hovabators are 3 years old now. I simply give them a good cleaning at the end of the season, and put them up for the year--they seem to be holding up extraordinarily well for something that looks relatively fragile at a glance. I fully expect them to function just as well next year.
 
I have to go with Tyler on this one, build one out of an old freezer. I built a 21 cubic foot incubator for what a hovabator costs.
I gave hovabators an honest try, for several seasons years ago. I fought temperature fluctuations and suffered kinks from species that laid large eggs that put them too close to the heating element. Finally someone was over at the house and I gave the last ones to them just to get them out of my way. For some people they work fine I'm sure, but not for me.
A freezer will hold dead on temps regardless. I've used mine in room temperatures from 45 to 75 without a degree variance and no adjustment using a cheap ZooMed Repti-Temp 500 T-stat. Now I use a Ranco because I had one extra.
When you can put one together for the same price, why not build one, even if you don't need that much room right now?
I've never seen a commercial incubator I'd consider buying knowing how cheap and easy they are to build, larger and better.
 
my first incubator was the georgia quail farms 1250R it worked like a charm! But it cost over $600 to get it shipped to my door with the optional acrilic door. I used it for 2 years and for the past 2 years we have used a refriderator we made into an incubator. It held 14 clutches at a time this year and is run with a ranco and we had a 1 degree fluxuation in temps. It cost us maybe $120 to make it (including the ranco).
 
My first incubator held a clutch of seven ball eggs and I built it myself from a 7-eleven styrofoam cooler. I had about 3 inches of water on the bottom with bricks that stood just over the water line. I took a sterilite with the attached folding lids (had it laying around) drilled holes in it (sides and bottom) and used sphangum moss as substrate. For heat I used a underwater heater thats common in heated fish tanks. Ran the cord out the top just had to cut a lil foam from the seal on the lid. Gotta be smart tho remember foam will bend, and I got mine right to fit snug and seal tight, lucky first try.

It held 97% humidity and stayed at 89 degrees the whole time, only fluctuated when I opened once a week for air exchange/checking the eggs. It worked so well that when I returned form the 09 NRBE in Daytona to find the plug for the water heater unplugged and flipped out, opened the tank and saw a lil ball head poking out of an egg! And the humidity at 97% and temp at 89. Coulda been unplugged a whole week for all I know My successful first clutch. No kinks, all hatched and all started eating rat pinks and never looked back. Oh and not to mention they survived an across town move.

$25 for the water heater, and made use of crap around my house. Win-win in my situation!
 
rcpreis3 said:
My first incubator held a clutch of seven ball eggs and I built it myself from a 7-eleven styrofoam cooler.
Click to expand...

You started off fancy lol. My first incubator, many years ago, was an uninsulated rubbermaid 15qt box and two heat rocks. There was no thermostat, and I maintained the temp by taking one of the rocks in and out a few times a day.
I hatched a good number of day geckos in that box, but I don't recommend that method lol.
 
yea depending on what OP wanted to hatch he coulda got the 30qt cooler or the 120qt from the Sev, but they are like 10 bucks, mine was a 30qt left over from a party. When I make room ill have a nice bread oven thats been converted. Looked really nice and spacious :D.
 
Clay Davenport said:
You started off fancy lol. My first incubator, many years ago, was an uninsulated rubbermaid 15qt box and two heat rocks. There was no thermostat, and I maintained the temp by taking one of the rocks in and out a few times a day.
I hatched a good number of day geckos in that box, but I don't recommend that method lol.
Click to expand...

:lol01: that's strangly awesome Clay.

Steve(or anyone else), Dennis has a good section on his site about this, id check it out.
 
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