Poultry - Reviews

Hova Bator 1602N Incubator Review

Incubator Warehouse sells the Hova Bator 1602N incubator, plus many other incubators, hatching supplies, and poultry supplies.
Incubator Warehouse sells the Hova Bator 1602N incubator, plus many other incubators, hatching supplies, and poultry supplies.

Hova Bator 1602N Incubator

I recently received a Hova Bator 1602N Incubator to review for Incubator Warehouse, a hatching supply company based in Idaho. This model comes with a Gentle Flow fan kit for even heating, and a wafer snap thermostat. A guide to using the incubator is included, with instructions for installing the thermostat and fan kit, plus general information about hatching, brooding and caring for your chicks. There is a handy incubation trouble shooting chart in the information booklet too.

Hova Bator 1602N Features:

  • IncubatorWarehouse.com Gentle Flow Fan kit
  • Reliable wafer snap thermostat for accurate temperature control
  • Washable plastic sanitary liner for easy cleaning
  • Durable Styrofoam construction provides excellent insulation
  • Built-in water trough for humidity control
  • Two viewing windows to watch eggs as they hatch
  • Includes bulb thermometer
  • Easy-to-follow color installation guide and links to install videos
  • Holds 46 chicken eggs

Setting Up

The incubator arrived at our house and I installed the thermostat easily following the instructions included. I started to install the air circulation fan kit, but I felt a little unsure about clipping the connectors to the wires and asked my resident engineer and hubby to take a look at the instructions and help me out. We watched the installation video online and Tom installed them perfectly. He suggests that you might want to consider paying the small additional fee to have the fan kit installed if you are not a real “do-it-yourself-er.” I think that if you watch the video carefully, and read the instructions, you should be able to handle it…just make sure you snap onto the correct wires. The video makes this quite clear. If you already have an incubator without the air circulation fan, you can order the kit and install it in a Hova Bator or Little Giant incubator to eliminate ‘warm’ and ‘cold’ spots for a better hatch rate.

Circulated Air Fan Kit - keeps the temps in your incubator even.
Circulated Air Fan Kit – keeps the temps in your incubator even. This can be ordered separately and installed in your existing Little Giant or Hova Bator incubator.

Stable Temperatures

I set the incubator up in our basement laundry room. It has the most stable temperature in our house. I plugged the incubator in, made sure the fan was running, and added water to the humidity tray in the bottom. I checked the temperature over the course of two days to make sure it was holding fairly steady at 99.5-100 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to adjust the heat up or down according to the temperatures inside the incubator. Don’t adjust the thermostat a lot and wait for the temps to level out before adjusting again. Be sure to allow a couple of days to make sure the room temp and incubator temps are not fluctuating.  When I was confident the temp was stable, I added 26 chicken eggs from our mixed flock. I’m looking forward to a batch of fluffy baby chicks at the end of the 21 day hatch period!

If any sweet engineers out there are looking for a present for me, this Incutherm Plus looks pretty cool! Just sayin' :)
If any sweet engineers out there are looking for a present for me, this Incutherm Plus looks pretty cool! Just sayin’ 🙂

In Perfect Working Order

My new Hova Bator is working perfectly! I don’t have an egg turner set up in the incubator, so I am turning the eggs by hand several times a day. When I do, I move the thermometer around to a new spot each time. The fan is working very well to keep the temperatures even throughout the incubator. I have noticed in the past that the eggs closest to the outer edge of the incubator don’t hatch quite as well, so I’m glad to have the fan.

The incubator comes with a small glass thermometer for monitoring the temperature. I highly recommend using a good digital thermometer. I have a digital thermometer, but Incubator Warehouse has a great instrument called the Incutherm Plus Hatch Monitor that I’ve got my eye on. They have two different models that measure the temperature and humidity levels in the incubator.  The Incutherm Plus display sits outside of the incubator and the sensor, attached with a wire to the display,fits through one of the vent holes to read the conditions remotely. This makes it super easy to read the temperature and humidity levels during a hatch. The other Incutherm model sits right inside the incubator and also measures the temperature and humidity. You just want to make sure you can read it through the incubator windows to avoid opening the incubator any more than necessary.

Ready, Set, Hatch!

I’m looking forward to watching this clutch of eggs hatch. These little peeps are heading over to live with my friends at Trogg’s Hollow Farm! I’ll be hatching more eggs this year to add to my own flock. Having my own incubator allows me to raise chicks even when there’s no broody hen in my flock. Having the ability to hatch your own chicks gives you the ability to raise replacement layers instead of relying on the hatcheries.

Incubating eggs is also a great way to teach children about embryo development and caring for baby animals. If you are homeschooling, you’d enjoy hatching your own chicks as a school project. Incubators are also wonderful for reptile and pet bird enthusiasts who would like to hatch eggs. Incubator Warehouse has a great selection of incubators, accessories, and even supplies for the chicken coop!

I’m happy with my new Hova Bator 1602N and I know I will get a lot of use out of it!

Disclaimer: I received the Hova Bator 1602N incubator from Incubator Warehouse to review. The opinions are my own. Incubator Warehouse donated an incubator for a past giveaway…Thanks, Incubator Warehouse! Stop by and check out their blog with information about hatching eggs and caring for poultry.

11 Comments on “Hova Bator 1602N Incubator Review

    1. Hi Mary,
      Our body temperature is right around 98.5, so 99 F won’t feel very warm to our hands. But it would be a good idea to put another thermometer inside the incubator to double check the temperature. Best wishes!

  1. Ok Lisa, I read correctly, especially to the end, the article encouraging us to participate, and I have my answer; U.S. residents only. Always read the fine print before signing any contract said my mother lollll. Haaaaa wisdom of a mother;-) Good day dear friend!

  2. Who can participate in the draw of this incubator? I’m almost embarrassed to ask you this but this is only for those residing in the USA?

    1. Hi Lola,
      a stick house…that made me smile 🙂 Thanks for reading! I hope you stop back tomorrow for a chance to win one of these incubators!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.