I went to our yearly animal trade day to buy my yearly bob white quail and a few chickens and the selection was half of what it was last year.  I decided I would like to try incubation on a very small level and came across this.  It's a bit pricey and for what it cost you could buy one that is larger but I don't need that.  Have any of you used one?

It also uses very little electricity and has 12v adapter for sustainability.

Brinsea Advance Incubator

I can't speak for that specific model, but we have the Brinsea Octagon 20 Advance version with the humidity pump, and I have nothing but good things to say about it... except for maybe the price.  Looks like it's gone up quite a bit since we got ours (I think we paid about $250 for the incubator, then another hundred or so for the humidity pump later).

We always get hatch rates of 90-100%, which is outstanding.  Ours has more than paid for itself by letting us raise and sell some oddball, hard-to-find chicks (Penedesenca's, Cream Legbars, etc.).  I think what helps the most is the humidity control, which looks to be lacking in the model you're looking at (?) - so I dunno.  I think I'd try to add on some kind of humidity monitor if it doesn't have it included.  Then again, lots of chicks have been hatched in a cardboard box with a light bulb.

go to backyardchickens.com and read about them. everyone loves them. I just got one for my wife

Yes they have pretty good reviews.  It should be here monday and I've ordered 4 Red Star eggs from Murray McMurray hatchery.  Supposedly those hens lay really good through the winter.

I have a rir that gave me 6 eggs/ week all winter with a light in their coop. going to south east okla Saturday to get some orpingtons. they lay very well too

My first batch of fertilized eggs I ordered did not work out well in the Brinsea Incubator.  I ordered 4 eggs for 40$ (ouch) and there was early embryo death in two and the other two were not fertilized.  I went out to visit relatives in the country and took home 11 of their eggs that were mixed breeds.  The brinsea will only hold 6 large eggs and so I swung by tractor supply and picked up their Little Giant Incubator.  

Ten eggs went in the Little Giant and one egg went into my hens laying box for an expiriment to see if they would sit on it.  One of my game hens took to it after the first day and sat like a champ.  19 days later the chick inside peeped out and I carried it inside to finish hatching in the incubator.  On day 21 I had 5 hatch that had spent the entire duration in the incubator.  This just goes to show that nature will beat man made.  My hens have never been allowed to sit nor have ever been broody.  I can't have a rooster due to where I live.

Here is the chick that my hen sat on below.  It seems to be dominant and bullies the others, could that be because it was sat on by a surrogate mother?  Interesting........



Here are all my little chicks, the one black one and other with a black spot are easter eggers, the other 4 are unknown as the relatives have lots of varieties.  



Overall not bad for my first time incubating.  All eleven eggs made great process and then 5 died around day 15 and I think that was an error on my part. It's neat to pick up an egg and hear a chirp inside.  

Good job OP!

I went with a home-brew setup... on my second "cooler-bator" now.

I'm happy with the new one, though I may scavenge another cooler to use as a dedicated hatcher to better manage staggered hatches.

First one (small):



Current:

Cool!  So I take it its best to have secondary thermometers and humidity gauges?  I stopped by academy and in the gun safe area they had cheap hydrometers so I bought two, their readings varied by 10% and I didn't like that.  I just adjusted humidity according to weight loss and I was able to be pretty accurate.  Where is your fan and what did you use for that?

I do use several thermometers and hygrometers during the hatch... one is none and I've had them get flaky on occasion.  I also like to spread them around the tray to make sure there aren't any hot/cold spots.

I calibrate them before I begin and also start them off in the center to confirm they are all agreeing, then I spread them around.

As for the hygrometers - it doesn't really matter how "off" they are as long as they are off consistently.  Google "salt calibration hygrometer" for an easy way to confirm their readings.

One I've come to trust the most for confirming stable temps is a simple arrangement of an oral thermometer tucked into a condom that has been filled with water to the size of an egg.  Just partially fill a condom with an egg's worth of water and tie off the end.  Push the knot back through the middle of the condom towards the tip making a doughnut of sorts.  Grab the tip and the knot and tie or rubber band them to hold it in place.  This forms a channel through the center of the now egg shaped condom.  Insert an oral thermometer into the center of the 'egg' and voila - you can now track what the core temp of the eggs are throughout the cycle.  Keep in mind that if you use a mercury type thermometer they only record the max temp - they don't decline again when cooled (would need to be removed and shaken down).  It's what I use because I am more concerned with detecting a high temp spike (deadly) vs a drop (much more survivable).

In the bigger incubator there are two bulbs and two 120mm computer fans under the grid.  A bulb/fan pair is mounted on each of the long sides a litte offset from the center, with the fans blowing towards the ends.  The sensor for the digital thermostat is mounted a few inches in front of one of the bulbs.

I used still air incubators, with a turned for a few years. Except for the eggs right by the motor, I could hatch over 75%.
I had so many chickens running around the property I had to cull with a .410 a couple of times.
Now that I raise chickens for profit, I just order day olds.
I do have two sportsmen incubators that need rebuilding...