Nurture Right
Nurture Right 360 Incubator, 22 Eggs, Auto Turner
- Egg capacity
- 22 chicken, 12–18 duck or 22–24 pheasant eggs
- Turning
- Automatic with auto-stop
- Humidity
- Display and control knob
Best for Family first hatches
The backyard flock guide
Hatch, raise and keep a happy flock
Incubators, coops, brooders, feeders and coop doors from dozens of brands, compared by the specs makers list. Coop hen counts are rechecked against Penn State and UMN space norms, and free tools count hatch days, size your coop and price your eggs.
- 9gear categories
- 431products compared
- 6free flock tools
- Maker specs, side by sideEgg capacity, turning, humidity, floor area, wattage and lift capacity as listed
- Coop capacity, recountedListed hen counts checked against the inside floor and three space norms
- Sourced safetyCDC, USDA APHIS, extension and fire-marshal guidance, linked on every page
- No invented testsWe say what we checked and what we did not. No scores, no hype
This month
What your flock needs right now
A short seasonal to-do list from extension, CDC and USDA guidance. Pick colder north or warmer south; your own weather decides the details.
November
Winter care
Winter care: before the first hard freeze
Chickens handle cold better than damp. The jobs are liquid water, dry air without drafts and safe heat if you use any.
- Switch to a heated waterer or base before the first hard freeze Gear
- Close drafts at roost level but keep ventilation open up high (moisture causes frostbite) How-to
- If you add heat below 35°F (UMN), use a coop-rated heater, never a loose lamp How-to
- Fewer eggs in short days is normal; check age, molt, stress and feed before worrying How-to
Timing varies with your climate, elevation and each year’s weather, and these are general reminders adapted from extension, CDC and USDA guidance, not a vet plan. Call a veterinarian or your state poultry lab about sick birds. Full calendar and sources.
Shop the yard
Everything a backyard flock runs on
Everything a backyard flock runs on, from the incubator to the egg basket.
Incubation & hatchingAutomatic incubators, egg turners, candlers, hygrometers and hatching supplies…64 products
Chicks & broodingBrooder kits, heat plates, safer heat lamps, chick feeders, waterers and…39 products
CoopsCoops by flock size, walk-in coops, chicken tractors, plastic coops, nesting…41 products
Runs & fencingWalk-in runs, run covers, poultry netting, electric netting and hardware cloth.40 products
Coop automationAutomatic and solar coop doors, coop cameras, lights, timers, heated bases and…35 products
Feeders & waterersNo-waste and treadle feeders, nipple and cup waterers, heated and automatic…70 products
Feed & supplementsLayer feed, chick starter, scratch, mealworms, grit, oyster shell and…50 products
Health, safety & cleaningPoultry first aid, mite and lice treatments, predator deterrents, bedding and…42 products
Eggs, books & giftsEgg baskets, cartons, skelters, scales, books and gifts for chicken lovers.50 productsStart where you are
Shop by situation
Start from where your flock is today.
Your first flockEverything for 3–6 hens in a suburban backyard.Hatching at home or schoolIncubators, candlers and brooders for family and classroom hatches, with…Small backyardsCompact coops, quiet setups and tidy feeders for small yards.Winter careHeated waterers, draft-free ventilation and winter lighting.Selling eggsCartons, scales, skelters and egg-handling gear for small sellers.Ducks, quail & turkeysIncubators, brooders, feeders and housing for waterfowl, quail and turkeys.
Free flock tools
Count the days to hatch
Calculators built on published numbers: Mississippi State incubation tables, Penn State space and brooding figures, extension feed intakes.
Incubation calculator by speciesPick a species and the day you set the eggs: get candling days, the stop-turning (lockdown)…Coop size calculatorEnter your hens, bantams, ducks or quail: see coop floor, run area, roost length and nest…Feed and egg cost calculatorType your bag price and size, flock size and eggs per week: see feed per day, how long a bag…Brooder temperature chart by weekBrooder temperature for chicks week by week, in °F or °C, with floor space per chick, a…Printable hatch logKeep a hatch log in your browser: set date, species, eggs set, daily temperature, humidity,…Flock care checklistDaily, weekly, monthly and seasonal backyard chicken chores in one printable checklist. Ticks…
Healthy flock, healthy family
Three safety habits worth keeping
Short, sourced reminders that apply to every coop, from the first chick to the oldest hen.
Wash hands after every visit
CDC: backyard poultry can carry Salmonella even when they look clean. Children under 5 should not handle chicks or ducklings.
Salmonella and kidsReport sick birds and sudden deaths
USDA APHIS: keep wild birds away from your flock and call your state veterinarian or 1-866-536-7593 about bird flu signs.
Bird flu biosecurityHeat lamps start coop fires
Fire marshals urge heat plates or firmly secured lamps, never a clamp alone or a lamp hung by its cord.
Heat lamp safetyEditor’s shelf
Picks worth a closer look
Products our rankings keep coming back to, from many brands.
Brinsea
Brinsea Mini II Advance 7-Egg Incubator
- Egg capacity
- 7 chicken eggs; 12 small eggs with optional insert
- Turning
- Automatic with auto-stop
- Humidity
- Manual, external water top-up
Best for Small first hatches at home
RentACoop
RentACoop 12x12 Heating Plate, Anti-Roost Cone
- Chicks
- Up to 20 chicks
- Heated area
- 12 x 12 in
- Wattage
- 22 W
Best for Home batches up to 20
Brinsea
Brinsea EcoGlow Safety 1200 Brooder, Up to 35 Chicks
- Chicks
- Up to 35 newly hatched or 20 older chicks
- Wattage
- 18 W, low voltage
- Height adjustment
- Screw-on legs, height and angle
Best for Larger chick or duckling batches
OverEZ
OverEZ Small Chicken Coop, Up to 5 Chickens
- Maker says
- Up to 5 chickens
- Material
- Wood panels
- Nest boxes
- Yes
Best for A first small flock
Omlet
Omlet Eglu Go Chicken Coop (Coop Only)
- Maker says
- Up to 3 large hens or 4 bantams
- Material
- Twin-wall insulated plastic
- Nest boxes
- Nesting area
Best for Starter flock of three
ChickenGuard
ChickenGuard Premium Opener with Self-Locking Door Kit
- Power
- Battery
- Trigger
- Timer or light sensor
- Predator lock
- Self-locking pop-hole door
Best for Retrofitting a secure pop hole
Run-Chicken
RUN-CHICKEN T50 Automatic Coop Door, Aluminum
- Power
- Battery
- Trigger
- App, timer or light sensor
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth app
Best for App-controlled door schedules
Grandpa's Feeders
Grandpa's Feeders 20 lb Galvanized Treadle Feeder
- Type
- Treadle
- Capacity
- 20 lb
- Material
- Galvanized steel
Best for Small flocks with rodent pressure
Premier 1 Supplies
Premier 1 All-Season Heated Waterer, 3 Gal
- Type
- Nipple (3 recessed)
- Capacity
- 3 gal
- Heated
- 100 W
Best for Cold-winter flocks
Premier 1 Supplies
Premier 1 PoultryNet 48" x 164' Electric Netting
- Size
- 164 ft
- Height
- 48 in
- Electric
- Yes, energizer sold separately
Best for Rotating free-range areas
Kalmbach Feeds
Kalmbach Feeds Layer Pellets, 25 lb
- Type
- Layer pellets
- Bag size
- 25 lb
- Medicated?
- Antibiotic free
Best for Everyday laying-hen feed
Rankings
Best picks for the backyard flock
Ranked by the job: first incubator, coop for six hens, treadle feeder, heated waterer and more.
Best ofBest egg incubators for chickens, ducks and quail (2026)
Best egg incubators compared by listed specs: egg capacity, forced air, auto turning with lockdown stop and humidity…
Best ofBest incubator for beginners: easy first hatches (2026)
Best incubator for beginners, picked by listed specs: automatic turning that stops for lockdown, forced air, outside…
Best ofBest quail incubators for coturnix and bobwhite eggs (2026)
Best quail incubators compared by listed small-egg capacity, quail trays or rails, turning and humidity, for coturnix…
Best ofBest incubators for duck eggs, by large-egg capacity (2026)
Best incubators for duck eggs compared by listed large-egg capacity, tray fit, turning and humidity, with MSU and…
Best ofBest egg candlers for light, dark and quail eggs (2026)
Best egg candlers compared by listed light, power and egg fit: high-intensity LEDs for dark or speckled shells,…
Best ofBest automatic egg turners and quail rails (2026)
Best automatic egg turners compared by listed capacity, turning cycle and incubator fit, plus quail rails and trays…
Close-ups
Single-product reviews
One product, its listed specs, who it suits and who should skip it.
ReviewNurture Right 360 incubator review: 22 eggs, auto-turn
Nurture Right 360 incubator review: 22-egg capacity, 360° view, induced airflow and auto-stop turner, checked against…
ReviewBrinsea Mini II Advance review: 7-egg incubator
Brinsea Mini II Advance review: 7 eggs, auto-turn with auto-stop, alarms and an external water top-up, checked against…
ReviewBrinsea Maxi 24 EX review: auto-humidity incubator
Brinsea Maxi 24 EX review: 24 hen or 40 quail eggs, pump-fed automatic humidity and mix-and-match quadrants, checked…
Head to head
Comparisons
Two incubators, two doors or two bedding types side by side, with a clear verdict.
VersusBrinsea vs Nurture Right incubators: specs side by side
Brinsea vs Nurture Right incubators compared by listed specs: egg capacity, turning, humidity control, alarms and…
VersusChickenGuard vs Omlet Autodoor: automatic coop doors compared
ChickenGuard vs Omlet Autodoor compared by listed specs: power, sensor and timer, lift capacity, cold rating, battery…
VersusRun-Chicken vs ChickenGuard: app door or button-set motor?
Run-Chicken vs ChickenGuard compared by listed specs: app vs LCD control, all-in-one door vs lift motor, battery and…
Learn
Guides for new flock keepers
Hatching, brooding, coop size, predators, winter and summer care, eggs and safety, in plain language.
GuideHow to start raising backyard chickens: a first-year plan
How to start raising chickens: check local rules, size the coop, choose chicks or pullets, set up feed and water, and…
GuideHow many chickens should I get? Eggs, space and chicken math
How many chickens should I get? Work it out from eggs per week, coop floor, run, nests, roosts and feed, with Penn…
GuideChicken breeds for beginners, eggs and cold climates
Chicken breeds for beginners compared: top layers, calm dual-purpose hens, cold-hardy and heat-tolerant birds, egg…
GuideHow to incubate chicken eggs, day by day
How to incubate chicken eggs: storage, temperature, humidity, turning, candling on days 7 and 14, lockdown on day 18…
GuideIncubation chart: chickens, ducks, quail, turkeys, geese
Incubation chart by species: days, forced and still-air temperature, wet-bulb and humidity, and lockdown day for…
GuideHow to candle eggs: what to look for on days 7, 14 and 18
How to candle eggs step by step: when to check, what veins, blood rings and air cells mean on days 7, 14 and 18, and…
What the catalogue covers
431 products from 202 brands, by category
Quick answers
How do you compare products if you don't test them?
We compare what the makers and listings state: egg capacity, turner and humidity control, coop floor area, heat-plate size and wattage, door lift capacity and power. We check coop claims against Penn State and University of Minnesota space norms and link CDC, USDA and extension sources. We did not hatch eggs in, house birds in or install these products.
How many chickens should I start with?
Three to six hens suits most backyards: enough for company and eggs, few enough to keep clean. Check your town's rules first. See your first flock.
How big should a chicken coop be?
Penn State's minimum is about 1.5 sq ft per standard hen inside plus 8 in the run; UMN suggests 3–5 sq ft inside. The coop size calculator compares a coop's inside floor against all three norms.
How long do chicken eggs take to hatch?
21 days, with turning stopped around day 18 (Mississippi State Extension). Ducks and turkeys take about 28 days and coturnix quail about 17. The incubation calculator gives every date.
Are heat lamps safe for chicks?
Fire marshals warn that heat lamps start coop and garage fires and recommend heat plates. If you use a lamp, secure it with a chain or cable at least 20 inches from bedding. See chicks and brooding.
Can kids handle backyard chicks?
CDC advises that children under 5 should not handle chicks, ducklings or other poultry, and everyone should wash hands after touching birds, eggs or bedding. See hatching at home or school.
Do you sell live chicks or hatching eggs?
No. Buy chicks and fertile eggs from a hatchery or a local feed store. We only link gear.
Will that coop really fit six hens?
Enter your birds and the coop's inside floor to see the result against Penn State, UMN and the 4 + 10 rule side by side. Nothing leaves your browser.