The Hova Bator is one of the most popular incubators on the market, which is pretty impressive after being around for over 30 years.
I have been using my Hova Bator for a while now to incubate chicken, geese and leopard gecko eggs and have had an almost 100% success rate!
The Set-Up
I chose the thermal airflow model due to my need to incubate reptile eggs and not wanting them to dry out in a fan assisted one.
This came with:
• A polystyrene base and lid
• A wafer thermostat
• A thermometer
• A plastic hygiene tray with water channels and a mesh cover
• A plug
• Two viewing windows
• Complete set-up instructions
Setting it up was extremely simple. The only problem I could see people encountering was setting up the thermostat as you need to screw it on yourself, but the instructions are very clear and easy to follow.
Other than setting up the thermostat all you need to do is place the hygiene tray in the bottom and pour some water into the water channels. You can then put the thermometer on the mesh inside, add the lid and turn it on.
Adjust the temperature by turning the dial either a full round to the right (to turn it up) or a full round to the left (to turn it down) and monitor the humidity until you reach an ideal level and it remains stable for a while (I tend to set mine up a couple of days before the eggs are due just in case).
You can then add your eggs, and any turning device that you may need, and keep an eye on them as they grow and eventually hatch!
Does it Really Work?
In my experience, yes it does.
I’ve hatched over two dozen chicks, four goslings and two leopard geckos in mine so far and only had two hen eggs die (I hadn’t spotted them in the coop and was then late putting them in the incubator).
The Hova Bator vs. The Little Giant
These two incubators are very similar and people often wonder which one to opt for.
In my opinion the Hova Bator comes out slightly on top because it has a few features which make it that little bit more superior than the Little Giant.
For example, the Hova Bator has a liner for the base which makes it easier to clean and an extremely reliable multi-turn wafer thermostat, whereas the Little Giant has no liner and an electronic thermostat which is extremely sensitive and difficult to set.
The Hova Bator also has a higher chamber inside to allow you to incubate goose eggs and larger reptile eggs.
This being said, both incubators work well for chicken eggs and small reptile eggs and the Little Giant has slightly larger viewing windows in its favour.
Conclusion
Overall the Hova Bator is a fantastic piece of equipment. It’s low cost and reliable and gives an extremely high hatch rate.
I would definitely recommend the Hova Bator to anyone looking for a great value, efficient incubator and can safely say that if you do decide to invest in one you will not be disappointed.