10 Best Ideal Egg Incubators to Raise Healthy Chicks

What is the best egg incubator? First, these devices differ by size and productivity. Smaller incubators are designed for about a dozen eggs while the larger ones can accommodate as many as 50 and more eggs and have racks to support several layers of eggs. Secondly, egg incubators can be either automatic or manual. Fully automatic models turn eggs automatically and even can tip them from side to side. With semi-automated models, you will need to turn the eggs by hand. But unlike manual incubators, semi-automated ones allow for turning all eggs at once, which is time-saving. When using a manual incubator, you will need to pick each egg and turn it.

We like covering smart technologies which penetrate our lives deeper with each day. Today we’ll devote this review to egg incubators allowing bringing life to an egg. Over 5000 (!) various egg incubators are sold, but some of them are of inferior quality and will hardly help in hatching the eggs. We’ve picked 8 best incubators tested by dozens of customers in several nominations that were tested by dozens of users:

Best Manual and Automatic Egg Incubators

Among the following models, you’ll find all types of incubators: compact ones that don’t take up much space and some more capacious ones for advanced farmers, a cut-rate device and several other options that are worthy of your attention.

1. Farm Innovators Model 4250 Digital Circulated Air Incubator with Automatic Egg Turner

If you are looking for a professional-grade branded product, try this model. It comes with an automatic egg turner that rotates the eggs 360 degrees every 4 hours. Made with a sturdy plastic outer shell, the unit accommodates up to 41 eggs. It includes an integrated fan ensuring fresh air ventilation, an adjustable LCD screen, and a candler to observe the growth of an embryo inside. Two separate EZ fill water channels allow for adding water without the need to remove the lid. The device works fast and it takes a few minutes for the heater to warm to a temperature of 100°F. The mesh screen is safe for chicken and easy to clean.

The egg incubator is made by a trusted brand founded in Indiana in 1983. For almost 30 years, the company has been developing innovative products for farmers. It offers a wide range of air incubators and accessories such as an incubator thermometer and quail egg rails. Farm innovators incubators have a capacity of about 40 eggs, large viewing windows and thermostatically controlled heaters. Some products also include a built-in hygrometer, a candler, digital control, a forced air fan, and a bottom tray for large eggs.

Farm Innovators: Check the current price

2. A 42-Egg Incubator with a Thermometer and a Powerful Fan Kit– HovaBator Advanced Egg Incubator Combo Kit: includes an incubator, fan kit, egg turner, digital thermometer/hygrometer

This is a smaller incubator, but its interior has been designed in a more convenient and versatile manner. 42 chicken or 70 quail or 28 goose eggs can fit here. This might as well be the handiest and roomiest item for those who breed quail.

Despite the unsophisticated design (in comparison with its analogs), the equipment is more than satisfactory. There is not only a built-in egg turner but also everything else is supplied as separate devices, namely a digital thermometer/hygrometer and a powerful air circulation fan kit. The price tag has increased considerably thanks to these devices supplied. In general, this is a noteworthy item especially for those who deal with various poultry species and need a universal product. Read all customer reviews to learn more.

Incubator Warehouse: Check the current price

3. The Best-Selling 12-Egg Incubator– Magicfly Digital Mini Fully Automatic Egg Incubator 12 Eggs Poultry Hatch

Nowadays this is the most popular device for those who don’t need a huge incubator. In terms of dimensions and shape, this device resembles more of a lunch box than of a full=scale new life cultivation device. This is for the best, as it won’t take up much space. The price is also affordable taking into account the fact that this is an automated egg incubator.

Now let’s take a closer look at the functions. First of all, there is automatic temperature control, so you won’t have to set it manually. An egg turner is also available, so you won’t have to do that either. The top lid of the device is equipped with an LED screen showing various indices. By the way, the device is suitable for hatching not only chicken but also eggs, fowl and goose eggs. Such versatility is crucial for a compact device as you’re likely to try it all at the beginning of your poultry farming career.

Although Magicfly might be a bit more expensive than certain large incubators, its price is justified by the convenience of automated functions and high compatibility. If you are still new to the poultry industry and are not prepared to manage a manual incubator, this item is an excellent choice.

Magicfly: Check the current price

The Largest 42-96 Egg incubators

These incubators are quite spacious, practical and versatile. They do not tie you to a certain species as in a month, you can grow 50 chickens in them, and another month could be spent on breeding the ducks, geese or quail. In this category, we have selected four products: fitting 42, 50, 56 and 96 eggs within the price range of $59 - $128. Let's start with an overview of the cheapest manual incubator. It has neither an automatic egg turner nor automatic temperature control. All the issues that are usually handled automatically are now on your shoulders. Expensive models, on the contrary, are completely automated and take care of the little things autonomously. All you have to do is properly lay the eggs in an incubator and turn it on. But you will have to pay more for this functionality

4. The Best 50-Egg Manual Incubator – G.Q.F. Manufacturing 1602N Hova-Bator Incubator

This is a simple large incubator with minimum equipment. It is definitely unsuitable for the amateurs. Neither a thermometer nor an egg turner is available. This incubator is considered to be a typical manual one as the entire care for the eggs is on you, including turning of the eggs and maintaining a stable temperature.

The manufacturer recommends obtaining a special thermometer, without which you will hardly be able to incubate anything. Do take into account the fact that the device has been devised for 50 chicken eggs. You’ll be able to fit half as many goose eggs and twice as many quail eggs. Should you disregard the drawbacks of the manual operation, you’ll find that this is the most affordable 50 egg incubator.

GQF: Check the current price

5. An Automatic 56-Egg Incubator – CHIMAERA 56-Egg Automatic Incubator / Hatcher / Turner with LCD Display

This is the second-large incubator of this review: the manufacturer claims it can fit 56 chicken eggs. The device is shaped as a trap, so you won’t be able to lay more eggs even if we’re talking quail eggs. This device provides impressive volumes.

This incubator has sufficient functions: there is a large control panel for monitoring the incubation day, temperature and humidity. Such a large device is also equipped with a cooler providing for the necessary air circulation on the inside. What the gadget lacks is the possibility to watch the eggs without opening the lid: the walls are opaque and the eye can’t see all the egg rows behind the matte plastic. In general, you can rely on the data output on the screen as all the necessary operations, including the turning, will be performed by the device without your help. This is it for the inexperienced poultry farmers.

Chi Mercantile: Check the current price

6. An Automatic 2-Storey 96-Egg Incubator – Best Choice Products 96 Digital Clear Egg Incubator Hatcher Automatic Egg Turning Temperature Control

Here before you is a mini farm. Unlike other incubators, here two 48-egg trays are supplied. When you assemble them, you’ll have a kind of two-storey incubator. The device is compatible with all types of poultry and is thus versatile and multi-functional. The automation is fine as there is an auto egg turn, temperature and humidity control. In general, there is nothing a user should worry about as everything is automated. They two-storied design raises certain questions from the customers as there are certain air circulation issues when the necessary temperature cannot be maintained on the lower storey. This issue is fairly easy to solve: you should invest in an additional fan kit and install it on the lower level. Two coolers will keep the air circulating inside the incubator and will thus maintain stable temperature on both levels. The most essential thing is to follow the rules of laying the eggs which are stated in detail in the manual.

Best Choice Products: Check the current price

The Most Compact 8-Egg Incubators

This category’s items are designed to fit 8 eggs. There are two of them, and they are completely difficult. The first one is simple and affordable; it is perfect for poultry farming amateurs who only breed chicken. The second one is fancier and more versatile as it suitable for chicken, duck, goose and quail eggs and is much more expensive. However, there is no trouble with it. Which one is for you? Choose based on your needs.

7. A Cut-Rate Temperature Control Incubator– Currens Mini Digital Transparent 7 Egg Incubator Clear Chicken Poultry Hatcher w/ CE Certificated

This product is the least expensive among its analogs. It is not equipped with an auto egg turner; there is only temperature control available. Do you need the egg turner? It will definitely double the price, and turning 7 eggs regularly on your own isn’t the most difficult task given that the tray is very expedient and your chances of accidentally cracking the egg are extremely low. This incubator is also the smallest one reviewed! A 6.7" x 6.7" x 6.7" device won’t take up much space even in the most crowded space, and the price tag is also the most affordable among the items reviewed. So if you’re looking for a device to try your breeding skills pick this one but don’t expect too much from it.

Currens: Check the current price

8. The Most Automated Compact Incubator Brinsea Mini Advance Hatching Egg Incubator

This is a 7 egg mini-incubator the functionality of this is comparable to large and advanced analogs. It is a paradise for an amateur poultry farmer. The device can fully control embryo growth after the eggs have been laid. For your convenience, there is a small informative screen which outputs all the necessary data.

This incubator can autonomously control the temperature, humidity and the position of the eggs. This means that you no longer have to bother with manual turning as everything happens automatically, and you only need to observe the process. The device can incubate the eggs of up to 65.0 mm in length, but the smaller the size, the more you’ll be able to fit. For instance, you’ll be able to fit 12 quail eggs if you buy an additional special stand for them.

This device is steadily one of the top ones as it has nearly 300 customer reviews, a high rating of 4.2 stars out of 5, hence the premium price. However, we wouldn’t mind paying for complete automation of all the processes as it is worth it!

Brinsea: Check the current price

9. Fully Automatic Egg Incubator | XuanYue

This device makes eggs turn automatically every 2 hours. In fact, everything is automated here and all you need to do yourself is to add water once a day. There is a computer-controlled system to measure temperature and humidity that can be seen at a LED display. When humidity drops, an alarm will notify you. And not only that, but the display will also show you the day of hatching.

All told, you will be fully prepared to get a new flock of chicken, goslings, ducklings, and turkey chicks in time! The unit has a nice and practical design, allowing you to see the whole process through a special window. This is important because you will not have to interrupt the process while being aware of everything that is going on inside the incubator. In addition, it is made of durable materials, which means a longer service life of the product. The downside is that the unit can hold only 32 eggs, which is not a big quantity taking into consideration the capacity of other models in this review.

XuanYue: Check the current price

The Best Selling Egg Candler Tester for Manual Incubators - Magicfly Bright Cool LED Light Egg Candler Tester - Incubator Warehouse Exclusive

If the incubator you have is not automated and you have to monitor all the processes on your own, you won’t do without a special egg tester. This useful and inexpensive device is network-powered and looks like a special egg tester. Once you scan the eggs with it (just like you would with an x-ray), you’ll be able to see the embryo and based on its appearance, to determine whether it is developing properly. You’ll be able to understand whether something is wrong in time. Of course, you will have to train your eye to immediately determine the condition and the expected hatching time, but since you’ve started a home poultry farm, you do not look for easy ways, do you?

The set is supplied with the special nozzles that allow fixing eggs of any size inside the device. Make sure you still support an egg with your hand while testing as the nozzles’ grip is not tight enough. These drawbacks are insubstantial though as you won’t find a better complement to a manual egg incubator than this egg candler tester.

Magicfly: Check the current price

Expert Opinion: Tim Farmer, TV Show Host

We got too many roosters and we need some more hands, and we are getting two eggs every day. We have our incubator now. You can get the styrofoam kind and they are very reasonable. And if you do several batches — you can put 41 eggs in this one — it will pay for itself pretty quick. I think we paid $90 for this one. It is reinforced, it has got temperature gauge right here. This particular model has the turner in it. You know, you have to turn your eggs a couple of times a day. But we do not have because we have the automatic turner in here. You don't have to open it up if you get the humidity just where you need it, which is about 60%. Then, you get your temperature up to around 99.5 as perfection. And again, if you do collect your eggs and you want to do this for the first time, make sure over the course of the days, you take and tilt your eggs in different directions.

To ease the comparison, as usual, check out the chart below.

10 Best-Selling Egg Incubators Comparative Table

Breeding poultry is a difficult and responsible task. However, thanks to the smart incubators you will avoid half of the problems. Even an amateur can raise a chick in such a device. After that an even more complicated and tricky stage of growing a bird follows, so make sure you have patience and endurance.

FAQ: How Does an Egg Incubator Work and Why Do You Need One?

Are you dreaming of a home poultry farm? Your dream can come true with home incubators. They are not an innovation; industrial poultry farms have large-scale incubators installed which can process thousands of eggs. The manufacturers tend to design more compact and user-friendly devices for domestic use so that even an amateur could raise their first chicks.

What Is a Modern Home Egg Incubator?

No, this isn’t a heavy-weight design with hundreds of spare parts. On the contrary, the dimensions of the most compact incubators resemble egg trays rather than an appliance. In fact, there is a place to lay the eggs and a digital unit, which carries out the basic processes of growing the chicks. Optionally, the incubator may be combined with additional devices, but we’ll talk about them later.

How Does an Egg Incubator Work?

All you have to do is to lay the eggs and turn the machine one. That’s it: the best devices are completely autonomous and can control the temperature and even turn the eggs on their own. If you own a less sophisticated gadget, you’ll have to perform all of that manually and invest into additional temperature and humidity measure devices.