Chicken Egg Incubators

Chicken Egg Incubators: Reviews of various popular incubators, including sizes and styles. This page also links to details about how and why incubators work, plus additional photos and links to greater details on several favorite incubators.

Imagine setting 36 absolutely beautiful eggs of a rare or endangered chicken breed. You'd seriously want ALL those eggs to hatch, right? I feel that way about my American Bresse eggs - such an amazing breed that I don't want to waste any of the eggs on a failed hatch.

This is why a reliable incubator is an essential tool for chicken owners that plan to hatch their own chicken eggs for whatever purpose, whether eggs, meat, or sustainability. 

Click here for details about how hatching chicken eggs works, both by the hen and with an incubator. 

Below: Click a link to go to a topic of interest to you, or keep reading!

• Tips that will Increase Hatch Rate
• Egg Incubators by Manufacturer
• How Chicken Egg Incubators Turn the Eggs
• Egg Incubators for Sale - Suggested Sources
• How Much are Chicken Egg Incubators Likely to Cost?
• Best Egg Incubators

Egg Incubators by Manufacturer

You can find incubators that fit 3 eggs, and you can find giant commercial incubators accommodating 8,000 eggs. 

You can find almost unlimited brands of avian incubators on the internet offering small 7- or 8-egg incubators, or larger 20, 40, or 60-egg (or more) machines. In nearly every case, incubators that look alike really are identical, with the exception of labeling and branding. Do an internet search on "7 or 8 egg incubators" (or whatever the size you're hoping to acquire), and you'll see the similarities for yourself. Then research the qualities you'd like to work with.

Here are some of my favorite chicken egg incubators listed by manufacturer, with their main specifications. Most of these are the tried-and-true chicken egg incubators that also have proven track records, as well as a few newcomers.

AccuHatch (and MagicFly, Janoel, Good Mother, HatchMate, HBLife)

• AccuHatch is the Incubator Warehouse brand, and they somewhat enhanced the model with expanded functionality. 
• MagicFly, Janoel, Good Mother, HatchMate, HBLife, and AccuHatch are six virtually identical 12-egg incubators made in China, each with cosmetic differences for branding purposes. Incubator Warehouse offers a review page that covers these brands and this style of incubator, including the AccuHatch. 
• The eggs in the 12-egg models are turned by sliding.
• They all feature electronic control of temperature, and a humidity gauge with manual humidity control.
• Some of these brands are also offered in 24- and 40-egg sizes. 

Borotto Egg Incubators

• Borotto Lumia incubators hail from Italy. Find them in 8 egg incubators, 16 egg incubators, and 56 egg incubators. Their quality is high, and each model also comes with an option for full automation. Compare to Brinsea's excellent incubators, however with a different humidification mechanism.
• The standard 8-, 16-, and 56-egg incubators automatically maintains the temperature electronically. Humidity is manually maintained through externally adding water to the moisture trays.
• The 8-, 16-, and 56-egg EXPERT incubators are each equipped with "'SIRIO,'  BOROTTO’s patented automatic humidifier, which ensures natural and impeccable humidity control, eliminating all uncertainty and manual intervention."
• Eggs turn by tilting.
• Borotto incubators are sold to the US marketplace with US style 110 volt electrical plugs. No adaptors needed. 
• Look for them at Amazon.

Brinsea Egg Incubators

This Brinsea website page lists all of the Brinsea egg incubators. Brinsea egg incubators are pricy, but reliable.

7-egg incubators by Brinsea

• The Brinsea Mini II EX is a 7-egg incubator
• Fully Automatic - both temperature and humidity control
• The space in this model will not accommodate either duck or goose eggs.
• Pricy but reliable, due to efficiency of design and accuracy of sensors.

• The Brinsea Mini II Advance is a 7-egg incubator. 
• It is identical to the Brinsea Mini II EX, EXCEPT for humidity control, which is manual rather than fully automatic.
• Eggs turn via pivoting around a center post.
• The space in this model will not accommodate either duck or goose eggs.
• Pricy but reliable, due to efficiency of design and accuracy of sensors.

28 egg Incubators by Brinsea

• Brinsea Ovation 28 EX has room for 28 eggs. 
• The Brinsea Ovation 28 Advance is an identical incubator, except for humidity management, which is manual.

56 egg Incubators by Brinsea

• Brinsea Ovation 56 EX: This is my current favorite egg incubator and it holds 56 eggs, although only once have I filled it full to the brim. It is fully automatic, and, at least at Ambresse Acres, the hatch rate is very close to 100%. 
• The Brinsea Ovation 56 Advance is nearly identical to the Brinsea Ovation 56 EX. The only difference is the lack of humidity automation.
  
  

Chickcozy Incubator

• Chickcozy Incubator has room for 25 eggs. This very interesting chicken egg incubator debuted in 2024. I was impressed enough with it to purchase a copy in order to run it through the paces.
• Eggs are turned by trays that tilt. Trays are designed to secure each individual egg, which enables upright incubating should you wish to do so.
• It features several brilliant new innovations: While there is no external tank, they have given the Chickcozy a slide-out tray into which to easily add humidity water. The control may be manual, but the absence of an external tank does give the user a bit more control over the humidity level. (Frequent attention is still required to maintain the humidity within the desired parameters.) 
• There is also a handle for lifting the clear top straight up, and a one-inch lip along the sides makes it easy to replace the clear top quickly and correctly. (Photo by Chickcozy, on Amazon.)
• As always, verify the temp and humidity values inside the incubator.

IBKINXX Incubators

• IBKINXX offers two 12-egg incubator models and one 18-egg incubator (check the link below for availability).
• Eggs are turned via pivoting. 
• One 12-egg model has a tall chamber allowing incubation of large eggs such as goose eggs, and the option of a second tier for small quail eggs. Plus you can start incubation with the press of a single button activating a specific preset of parameters relative to the species of egg: Chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, and quail.
• Take a look at their page on Amazon.
  

Kebonnixs Incubator

• Kebonnixs 12 Egg incubator is considered a very good little budget incubator with capacity for 12 chicken eggs. It is a round machine. An egg-holding tray pivots around the center, causing the eggs to roll over. (Thank you to HomesteadJoys.com for permission to use their photo.) 

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MagicFly Incubator

• MagicFly offers a 40-chicken egg incubator in addition to the 12-egg, Accuhatch lookalike incubator noted above.
• The casing is plastic. The eggs turn by way of a slider. 
• Temperature and humidity is automated, and you can assign separate values specific to the stage of hatch (days 1-17, and days 18-21). 
• For all that functionality, the price is surprisingly reasonable. I've never used this incubator; I would be interested in testing the quality of the temp and humidity controls.

Maticoopx

• Maticoopx 20 has room for up to 20 eggs. 
• Maticoopx 30 has room for up to 30 eggs. (Pictured below.)
• Both sizes of Maticoopx turn eggs by tilting. My copy of the Maticoopx 30 needed the temperature adjusted, which resulted in much higher hatch rates.

See the Maticoopx Page (link coming soon). 

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Nurture Right 360

• Nurture Right 360 Incubator has room for 22 eggs (pictured below).
• The NR 360 automates temperature control; the humidity is manually controlled. Eggs get turned by pivoting around a center post.
• My copy of the NR 360 needed the temperature adjusted upwards by more than one degree F.

See the Nurture Right Page (link coming soon).

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Rcom

• Rcom manufactures incubators and brooders for many animal species, as well as their high-end avian incubators. They offer quite a few different sizes and styles of incubators.
• Egg capacity ranges from a small three-egg unit (Pro Mini 3) to a 240-egg cabinet (Maru 240 D). Other sizes include 10-egg, 20-egg, 50-egg, 100-egg, and 200-egg units.
• Some models are circular and turn eggs by pivoting. Some employ sliders to turn the eggs. A 20-egg unit, "King Suro 20," turns the eggs by tipping the entire incubator 90 degrees side to side. 
• Some models are fully automatic including thermometers for both inside and outside (ambient) temperatures, improving the ability to maintain internal temps. They also feature an auto-pump for humidity control.
• The units are flexible, accommodating multiple species of birds.

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Styrofoam Incubators

Styrofoam incubators are a great way to get into hatching because they are large, square, and hold a lot of eggs, relatively speaking. Styrofoam may need to be handled carefully, but it does have the advantage of helping to maintain warmth inside the incubator. (Pictured - my grandson with his very first hatch. He intends to be a chicken farmer one day.) 

• Farm Innovators manufactures a very adequate 41-egg incubator. One can purchase it stripped down to the bare essentials, or upgraded with fan and turner for increased incubating success (recommended). Their electronic controls and digital display are quite nice. The Farm Innovator incubator used by my grandson has both a fan and a retro-fitted egg turner (you can see it in the photo here). It maintains the temperature automatically (factory-set at 100F), and displays the humidity value.
  
  Farm Innovators has improved on the old style of styrofoam incubator by designing two filling holes into the body of the incubator, so that you don't need to remove the lid to add water.
  
  
• Little Giant, from Miller Manufacturing, is a simple styrofoam box with a manual thermometer without a turner or an air-circulating fan. Little Giants today have electronic controls. But, you should also retrofit your Little Giant with a fan, and a turner. Or, get one of the models that already have these perks. ($175 at Amazon already equipped with fan and egg turner.)
  
  
• Hova Bator is a styrofoam incubator manufactured by GQF Manufacturing Company. This is a simple incubator, but can be improved or customized with five different combo packs.

Most styrofoam incubators use an egg turner exactly like the one pictured below that holds 41 eggs, and turns them by tilting from side to side. The turner's six trays each hold seven chicken eggs. The 42nd hole nearest the turner is blocked, as any egg placed in that spot will not hatch due to proximity to the heat and electric field of the motor. 

Yes, I called these "simple," but they WILL hatch your eggs. 

Vevor

• Vevor offers egg incubators in three sizes: 12 egg incubator, 24 egg incubator, and 48 egg incubator. The temperature and turner (rollers) are automatic, while the humidity control is manual. 
• Their 12-egg incubator turns the eggs with a roller mechanism; the 24- and 48-egg incubators are round, utilizing a pivoting mechanism.
• The newest models of Vevor incubators have a port for a water reservoir which reduces the chance of the humidity dropping.
• The prices are remarkably competitive at the moment. For example, the 12-egg incubator will set you back less than USD$50.00. 
• (Ensure that you verify the accuracy of the temp and humidity inside the incubator.)

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Cabinet Incubators

Cabinet incubators hold large quantities of hatching eggs, ranging from 60 to 180 eggs and more. They house multiple trays for incubating. For some models, such as the Cimuka pictured below, one can trade out the trays and place the eggs in baskets inside the incubator for hatching. (Below: Photo by Hatching Time, on Amazon.)

Each of the following brands of cabinet incubators have large tilting trays. The entire tray is tipped 45 degrees from side to side. They are well suited for small and larger homesteaders.

Some brands sell two units, a cabinet incubator, and a cabinet hatcher of the same size. This adds flexibility to your hatching schedule, and simplifies your cleaning routine.

These are popular brands of cabinet incubators: 

• GQF Sportsman: The 1500 and 1502 models are favorites among chicken farmers and homesteaders.
• Hatching Time: Cimuka, HB, and T-Series incubators come from Hatching Time. Cimuka brand incubators and hatching units offer 60-, 120-, and 180-egg cabinets.
• Surehatch: Find cabinet incubators from 60 egg capacity all the way up to 8,000 eggs, as well as hatching units to match.
  
  

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Huge commercial incubators can fill up entire rooms, and are outside the scope of this web page.

How Chicken Egg Incubators Turn the Eggs

Virtually ALL incubators turn eggs by one of these four methods:

• Pivoting: Turners hold the eggs while they pivot around a central point, causing the eggs to roll over.
• Sliding: Sliders hold the eggs while they slide from side to side. This causes the eggs to roll over.
• Rolling: The eggs sit on a series of rollers; the turning mechanism rolls the rollers, which then rolls the eggs over.
• Tilting: A tilting mechanism causes the entire tray of eggs to tip from side to side. The majority of incubators use the tilting mechanism, including large cabinet incubators. 
  
  

Where to Find Egg Incubators for Sale

They can be found at any farm supply store, for example, Tractor Supply Company, Rural King, and Dickey's, plus many other local outlets and feed stores. Many are also available through Amazon.

Obtain incubators for sale on eBay or even from private parties on social media platforms such as Facebook. Some of these are likely to be used or 2nd hand. If used, be sure to verify the thermometer and humidity values, and and make adjustments to the features as necessary.

Or, you can likely obtain your chosen incubator directly from the manufacturer's website.

How Much are Egg Incubators Likely to Cost?

• Prices for poultry incubators start at less than USD$50 for a basic simple styrofoam incubator that will regulate the temperature, but won't turn the eggs, circulate the air, or monitor the humidity. Diligent vigilance on your part might get most of the eggs hatched. If you retrofit that basic incubator, the extra parts - fan and egg turner at minimum - will likely boost the cost up near USD$200.
  
  At that price, you will do much better to purchase an economical incubator that already has the turner and fan. See below.
  
  
• There are a LOT of really decent incubators costing in the range of USD$105 to $170. For example, the Maticoopx 30 could be obtained from Amazon in mid-2025 for a normal non-sale price of USD$135. The normal price for a Maticoopx 20 is around USD$105. Both machines have air circulation, an automatic egg turner, temperature regulation, humidity gauge, and an external means for filling humidity tanks.
  
  The Nurture Right 360 will run you in the neighborhood of USD$160.00.
  
  
• More automation costs more money - fully automatic incubators typically cost more than USD$450. 
  
  
• The larger cabinet incubators that can hatch 90+ chicks at a time cost at least USD$750.00 and upwards.
  
  

Best Incubators for Chicken Eggs

It is actually very hard to recommend a single incubator per size category, or a single manufacturer, since people have various needs and life situations to navigate.

The best incubator for chicken eggs will be the one that suits your needs best, factoring in cost and time investments. The incubators listed on this page are, in my opinion, reliable enough to consider purchasing, depending on your budget.

I give the edge of success to fully automatic egg incubators that maintain both temperature and humidity automatically, only because one is less likely to forget, for example, to fill the water reservoir when it runs dry. (If you successfully dry-hatch, this may not be a factor for you.)

Check the HomesteadingRD website for their suggestions on best egg incubators. I concurred with the opinions of that website to the extent of the info presented; what do you think?

I hope this chicken egg incubator page has been helpful to you!

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