5 great chicken incubator with automatic turner

Hatching your own eggs at home can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, and it’s even more fun if you have kids to share it with – but for the best results, you need the right chicken incubator.

Chicken incubator that turn the eggs automatically can save you a lot of time and effort, so to help you find the right option for you, in this post, we bring you our picks for best chicken incubator with automatic turner.

Chicken incubator with an automatic egg turner from Harris Farms can be used to hatch up to 22 chicken eggs, but you can also use it with ducks and pheasants, allowing you to hatch up to 18 and 24 eggs from those species respectively.

The automatic egg-turning feature is excellent, and it even stops by itself three days before hatching, so you don’t need to remember to turn it off manually. Temperature and humidity are also controlled automatically, so you don’t need to worry about adjusting them yourself.

Something else we like is the egg candling feature that allows you to check on egg development without messing about with flashlights or anything similar.

However, on the downside, this chicken incubator is a little difficult to clean, and it’s also one of the more expensive options.

That said, if you’re willing to pay the money, this chicken incubator would be a smart investment for any backyard chicken enthusiast.

Pros

• Automatic turning stop – stops 3 days before hatching
• Induced airflow – for stable temperatures and equal distribution of heat
• 360° visibility – makes it easy to see what’s going on inside
• Candling feature – to check on your chicks’ development
• Can be used for various poultry species – chickens, ducks, pheasants

Cons

• A little difficult to clean – need to make an effort after each batch
• Relatively pricey option – but good quality if you’re willing to pay

This inexpensive chicken incubator from Kebonnixs allows you to hatch up to 12 chicken eggs with the minimum of fuss – it’s almost entirely automated, so you essentially just put the eggs in a wait until hatch day, making it great for beginners.

The temperature and humidity are controlled automatically, and the egg turner stops by itself three days before hatch day. All you need to do is top up the water tanks for humidity and keep an eye on the parameters in case anything needs to be adjusted.

One thing that’s a bit tricky is filling up the water tanks since it can be difficult to see how much water is already in there. Also, although this is sold as a chicken incubator for up to 12 chicks, it’s a little cramped inside and is maybe better for six or eight.

Otherwise, there’s a lot to like about this chicken incubator, and for newbies especially, it takes a lot of the stress out of incubation. It sells for an extremely reasonable price, and it tends to produce high rates of hatching success – which is why it has become such a popular product.

Pros

• Almost completely automated – simply put the eggs in and wait
• Humidity display – easy to read
• External water top-up – so you don’t need to open the chicken incubator
• Built-in candler – no need for separate equipment
• Extremely reasonable price – a great value chicken incubator

Cons

• Difficult to see the water level – a bit tricky to fill the tank
• A little small when full – better for fewer eggs

Another popular and trusted chicken incubator, the Mini II Advance from Brinsea can be used to hatch up to seven chicken eggs – or more for smaller species of poultry.

It offers excellent visibility of what’s going on inside, allowing you to monitor your eggs – it’s also great if you have kids who want to see how the eggs are doing.

We like the way there’s a display telling you how many days are left till hatch day, which is highly practical – and also exciting for young children to see.

This model also allows you to adjust many of the parameters, including the temperature, the number of turns per day and the number of days the eggs need to hatch. It’s also easy to disassemble and clean, another important point.

On the downside, the controls are not entirely intuitive, and you’ll have to learn how to operate it. We also don’t like the way there’s no hygrometer display, so you just have to fill up the water tank and trust it to get it right.

However, it seems to do a good job, and hatch rates are consistently high, so, despite the relatively high price point for such a small chicken incubator, this is another highly recommended product.

Pros

• Hatch day countdown – keep track of exactly how long you have to wait
• Adjustable parameters – allows you more control over incubation
• Great visibility – easy to see what’s going on inside
• Easy to clean – simple to disassemble the parts
• Built to last – you can expect to be using this chicken incubator for many years to come

Cons

• A little difficult to operate settings – not very intuitive
• No hygrometer display – you have to trust the chicken incubator

The IncuView 3 chicken incubator has the perfect design if you’re planning to hatch chickens or other poultry as a project with young kids – the large, clear lid gives you a perfect view of what’s going on inside, allowing you to watch eggs turning and chicks hatching.

There’s also a hatch day countdown – something that’s practical and convenient but also fun for children to see.

We like the way it’s easy to change the settings, allowing you to choose the perfect temperature parameters for the eggs you’re incubating, and the chicken incubator is designed to avoid rapid temperature changes, which can be dangerous for developing embryos.

Something we like less is the way it’s quite awkward to add water when the mesh is in place – the water ends up running out and splashing everywhere, and it’s also not easy to see how much water is in the tank.

We’re also a little concerned about the slightly flimsy feel of the plastic, although this won’t be a problem if you take good care of it.

Overall, a good option if you have kids and also if you want to hatch multiple species since you can use it with any size of eggs ranging from quail to goose – and if that sounds like the kind of thing you’re looking for, it’s a chicken incubator worth considering.

Pros

• Universal egg turner – turns anything from quail eggs to goose eggs
• High-visibility lid – great for kids to use
• Easy to clean – no hard-to-reach corners
• Maintains a steady temperature – avoids dangerous rapid heat changes
• Hatch day countdown – stops turning three days before hatching

Cons

• Not so rugged – may not last as long as some other models
• Awkward adding water – the mesh gets in the way

If you’re looking for a simple, compact and convenient chicken incubator that’s ideal for beginners, this could be an option worth investigating.

It’s the type of chicken incubator that automates as much of the process as possible, so you just put your fertilized eggs inside, make sure the parameters are set the way you want them and let it do the rest, just topping up the water for humidity as required.

The auto-turner works well, constantly rotating the eggs to prevent embryos from sticking to the sides of the shells. It’s also suitable for use with different-sized eggs, so you can hatch anything up to the size of a goose.

That said, it is a small chicken incubator, so it’s better for smaller birds – large chicks will probably be quite cramped inside once they hatch.

One thing we don’t like about this chicken incubator is that you can’t see inside. This means you can’t monitor what’s going on or see the chicks hatching, and it’s also no fun for kids because they can’t watch.

Also, another flaw is that it has an awkwardly placed screw that can easily pierce eggs if you don’t watch out, something that could end up being quite upsetting.

However, if you’re looking for a basic, inexpensive chicken incubator that’s easy to operate and does the job effectively, this is another one that should be on your radar.

Pros

• Compact design – convenient for home use
• Simple to use – among the easiest chicken incubators to operate
• Adjustable tray – for different-sized eggs
• Effective auto turner – keeps eggs moving
• Fan inside – circulates air to ensure even temperature distribution

Cons

• Can’t see inside – not practical and also less fun for kids
• Not ideal for larger species – but great for bantam chickens and small breeds
• Badly positioned screw – can easily puncture eggs if you’re not careful

As we’ve seen, when it comes to chicken incubators with automatic egg turners, there’s no shortage of great models to choose from.

Many offer other useful features, such as automatic temperature and humidity control, fans for even temperature distribution, viewing windows and more – and with our roundup, now you should have a better idea of where to start looking.