Ovatekly · Buying guide
The best incubator for a beginner does the rounds for you.
Seven things that decide a first hatch, taken from the extension guides, what to check for each one when you compare machines, and when an Ovatekly is not the right buy.
Short answer
For a first hatch, choose a forced-air (fan) incubator with an automatic turner, water you can add without opening the lid, a display that shows temperature and humidity with an alarm, and a capacity that matches the batch you will actually set. Texas A&M AgriLife puts it plainly: whenever possible, use a forced-air incubator, and turn the eggs at least five times a day, weekends included.
What matters
Seven things that decide a first hatch
1. Forced air, not still air
A fan keeps the temperature and humidity even and brings them back quickly after the lid has been opened; still-air machines can read inaccurately and vary considerably. Texas A&M’s advice: whenever possible, use a forced-air incubator.
What to check: Look for a fan in the spec, not just a heater.
2. An automatic turner
Eggs have to be turned at least five times every 24 hours, weekends included, until three days before the hatch; failing to turn them kills embryos, and an automatic turner cuts out the human error (Texas A&M).
What to check: Check the turner comes fitted, not as an extra, and how often it turns.
3. Water you can add without opening the lid
Every opening lowers the temperature and humidity, which delays hatching and may lower hatchability (Kansas State). A machine you refill from outside keeps the lid shut, which matters most in lockdown.
What to check: Look for an external water inlet or bottle.
4. A display you can read, and an alarm
Texas A&M checks the temperature at least twice a day and keeps a daily record; drift of more than half a degree from 100 °F makes a poor hatch likely. A display with temperature, humidity and the day, and an alarm when the heat drifts, does that watching for you.
What to check: Check whether humidity is on the display, or whether you need a hygrometer.
5. The right size
Buy for the batch you will set at once, not for the flock you might have one day. Different species should not share a batch (Texas A&M), and duck and goose eggs take far more room than chicken eggs.
What to check: Read the capacity for your species, not just for chicken eggs.
6. Easy to clean
Microbes in an incubator can significantly reduce hatchability, and Texas A&M disinfects incubators after each hatch.
What to check: Trays and turners you can lift out and wash.
7. Someone to ask
A first hatch raises questions at predictable moments: is this egg alive on day 7, is this humidity right on day 18, why has nothing pipped on day 21. An answer from a person on the day beats a forum thread a week later.
What to check: Find out who answers, how, and whether it costs extra.
Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022); Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A).
Before the machine
The room matters as much as the incubator
Texas A&M puts the incubator in a room with no drafts or direct sunlight, where the temperature and humidity are controlled and stable, and runs it there for several days before the eggs go in. A spare bedroom beats a garage: what spoils hatches is a room that swings cold at night.
Then start with good eggs: fresh, clean, unwashed and from as close to home as you can (Texas A&M). How to store them until you set.
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022).
Our machine, against the list
How the Ovatekly lines up
| What to look for | On every Ovatekly |
|---|---|
| Forced air | Two small fans and dual air ducts, for one even temperature across the chamber. |
| Automatic turning | Rollers turn every egg every two hours, nights and weekends included; fitted, not an extra. |
| Water from outside | External bottles feed the reservoir from outside the chamber, so the lid stays shut. |
| Display and alarm | Temperature and a day counter on every size, humidity as well on the Home, Pro and Farm; an alarm if the temperature drifts. Factory set to 100 °F, adjustable. |
| Size | 9, 48, 98 or 300 chicken eggs per batch (manufacturer ratings); also duck, quail, goose, turkey and guinea fowl. |
| Cleaning | Clear trays and rollers that wash in warm soapy water; dry them fully before storing. |
| Someone to ask | Hatch Support: a real person answers photos of your display or a candled egg by email, from the day you set the eggs until they hatch. Included. |
| If something fails | 1-year limited warranty on the heater, fan, sensor and turning motor; 30-day returns on an unused unit. |
Choosing
Which size for a first hatch
| Model | Eggs per batch | Good for | Display | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ovatekly Compact | 9 | A first test batch, a classroom, one clutch at a time | Temperature, day counter, alarm | US$129 |
| Ovatekly Home | 48 | Backyard and breeder flocks | Temperature and humidity, day counter, alarm | US$329.99 |
| Ovatekly Pro | 98 | Breeders, game birds, selling started pullets | Temperature and humidity, day counter, alarm | US$399 |
| Ovatekly Farm | 300 | Small hatcheries and farms, three trays | Temperature and humidity, day counter, alarm | US$699 |
Manufacturer ratings, chicken eggs per batch. Free tracked shipping across the US.
Choose the smallest one that takes the batch you will set at once. We would rather sell you the 9-egg Compact than a 300 you run once. Not sure? The Size Finder works it out, or email contact@ovatekly.com with what you plan to hatch and how often.
Honestly
When an Ovatekly is not the right buy
- You want to hatch a handful of eggs once and you have a broody hen. She does the turning and the humidity herself.
- You want humidity held at a set point automatically. The Ovatekly feeds humidity from external bottles and shows the reading from the Home up; if an automatic humidity set point matters to you, email us before you buy and we will tell you plainly.
- Your eggs need setting within the next few days. Delivery is an estimated 5 to 10 business days from order confirmation, and the incubator should then run for a couple of days before the eggs go in.
- You need a hatch rate guaranteed. Nobody can honestly promise one: fertility, egg handling and the room decide as much as the machine.
Questions
Questions people ask
What is the best egg incubator for a beginner?
Do I need an automatic egg turner?
Forced air or still air: which is better?
What size incubator should I buy first?
Can a beginner hatch duck or quail eggs?
How much electricity does an egg incubator use?
Sources
Where the numbers come from
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022).
- Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A).
Updated . Written by the Ovatekly team. Temperatures, humidity levels and incubation periods on this page are general references from the extension publications named beside them, not Ovatekly specifications.
More from the hatch guides
A person for the whole hatch.
Every Ovatekly comes with Hatch Support: email a photo of your display or a candled egg to contact@ovatekly.com and a real person answers, from the day you set your eggs until they hatch.