6 Best Manna Pro Incubators for First-Year Hatching

That first time you decide to hatch your own eggs is a mix of pure excitement and deep-seated anxiety. You’re not just incubating eggs; you’re stewarding new life, and the pressure to get it right is real. Choosing the right incubator is the single most important decision you’ll make, as it removes the biggest variables and lets you focus on learning the process. Manna Pro has built a reputation on reliable, straightforward equipment that gives first-year farmers the best possible shot at a successful hatch.

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Key Features in Manna Pro’s Incubator Lineup

Manna Pro incubators are designed with the beginner in mind. They focus on automating the most critical and error-prone tasks. Features like automatic egg turners are non-negotiable for consistent results, ensuring the embryo develops properly without you needing to intervene multiple times a day.

Most of their popular models, especially in the Harris Farms line, include a 360-degree viewing dome. This isn’t just a neat feature; it’s a practical tool. It allows you to monitor the eggs and the hatching process without lifting the lid, which would cause a catastrophic drop in temperature and humidity. For a new hatcher, resisting the urge to peek is hard, and this design makes it safe to do so.

They also integrate simple, essential tools directly into the unit. An external water port lets you manage humidity without disturbing the environment inside. Many models also come with a built-in egg candler, saving you the hassle and expense of buying a separate one. It’s this focus on a complete, user-friendly system that makes their lineup so effective for building confidence.

Harris Farms Nurture Right 360: The Top Pick

For most people starting out, the Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 is the answer. It hits the perfect balance of features, capacity, and simplicity. It holds 22 chicken-sized eggs, which is a manageable number for a backyard flock. A successful hatch gives you a great starting flock, while a failed one isn’t so large as to be completely demoralizing.

The "360" in its name refers to the clear dome, giving you an unobstructed view of everything happening inside. This is invaluable for learning. You can watch the turner work and see the first pip without disrupting the delicate environment during lockdown. The built-in candler is another huge plus, letting you check for development easily.

Ultimately, the Nurture Right 360‘s greatest strength is its reliability. It holds temperature steadily and the automatic turner just works. When you’re just starting, you want a piece of equipment that eliminates variables, not one that creates new ones. This incubator does exactly that, making it the best all-around choice for first-year success.

Simple & Successful Kit for All-In-One Hatching

If the idea of sourcing all the post-hatch supplies feels overwhelming, the Simple & Successful Kit is your solution. It bundles the Nurture Right 360 incubator with everything you need for the first few weeks of a chick’s life. This typically includes a brooder panel, a feeder, a waterer, and sometimes even chick grit and electrolytes.

This all-in-one approach removes the guesswork. You don’t have to worry if you bought the right size waterer or a safe brooder. The kit provides a complete, tested system where all the parts are designed to work together. It’s the "just add eggs" method, and it’s perfect for anyone with limited time or who feels intimidated by the long list of necessary supplies.

The tradeoff is a higher upfront cost and less customization. You might prefer a different style of feeder, for example. But for a first-timer, the value of having a proven, complete setup delivered to your door is immense. It lets you focus your energy on the chicks themselves, not on last-minute trips to the farm supply store.

Nurture Right 360 for High-Humidity Duck Eggs

Hatching waterfowl like ducks presents a unique challenge: they require significantly higher humidity than chicken eggs. The Nurture Right 360 is surprisingly well-equipped to handle this. Its key feature for duck eggs is the external water port. This allows you to add water frequently to maintain that crucial 65-75% humidity during lockdown without ever opening the lid.

The automatic turner is also essential for duck eggs. Duck embryos are notoriously prone to sticking to the shell membrane if not turned consistently. The Nurture Right 360’s gentle rolling motion prevents this, leading to much higher hatch rates than you’d get with manual turning.

A word of caution: don’t rely solely on the incubator’s built-in hygrometer when pushing humidity that high. It’s wise to invest in a small, calibrated digital hygrometer to place inside the unit. This allows you to verify the readings and fine-tune the environment, giving your ducklings the best possible start. Trust, but verify.

Adapting the Nurture Right 360 for Quail Eggs

The Nurture Right 360 isn’t just for standard-sized eggs. With a simple modification, it becomes an excellent incubator for small eggs like quail. The standard automatic turner is designed for chicken eggs, and tiny quail eggs will slip and slide without turning properly. The solution is the specialized quail egg tray sold separately by Manna Pro.

This tray snaps into the existing turner and has smaller slots perfectly sized for coturnix or bobwhite quail eggs. This simple accessory transforms the incubator, allowing you to hatch a large number of quail at once—often 40 or more. This is ideal for anyone looking to establish a breeding covey for meat or eggs quickly.

Just remember that a larger hatch means more work on the other side. Brooding 40 quail chicks is a different undertaking than brooding a dozen chicken chicks. They are smaller, more fragile, and require a brooder with a tight-lidded top, as they can fly much sooner. Plan your brooder space before you load the incubator.

Harris Farms Ultimate for Larger Capacity Batches

Once you have a successful hatch or two under your belt, you might get more ambitious. If your goal is to raise a consistent supply of meat birds or expand your egg-laying flock significantly, the Harris Farms Ultimate Incubator is the logical next step. With a capacity of 41 chicken eggs, it nearly doubles the output of the Nurture Right 360.

This unit is built for the hobby farmer who is moving past the experimental phase and into production. It’s a cabinet-style incubator with a fan for circulating air, ensuring a more even temperature throughout the larger space. This is critical for maintaining consistency across all the eggs.

However, a larger capacity also means a larger risk. A power outage or equipment failure can result in a much greater loss. This incubator is for someone who has their process dialed in and is ready to scale. It’s not a beginner’s unit, but it’s the perfect upgrade for a successful second or third year.

Staggering Hatches with Two Manna Pro Incubators

For the truly dedicated hobby farmer aiming for a continuous supply of new chicks, a two-incubator system is the most efficient setup. Using two Nurture Right 360s allows you to stagger your hatches perfectly. This means you can have a new batch of chicks hatching every one, two, or three weeks.

Here’s how it works: one incubator is designated as the "setter." It runs continuously with the automatic turner engaged for the first 18 days of development. The second unit is the "hatcher." It’s kept at a slightly lower temperature and higher humidity, with the turner removed. On day 18, you move the eggs from the setter to the hatcher for lockdown.

This system has two huge advantages. First, it keeps your primary incubator (the setter) clean from the mess of hatching. Second, it allows you to start a new batch of eggs in the setter as soon as you move the previous batch to the hatcher. It’s a highly efficient, small-scale production line that maximizes the output of your equipment.

Final Checks Before You Buy Your Manna Pro Unit

Before you click "buy," take a moment to think beyond the 21-day incubation period. The right incubator is the one that fits your long-term goals and resources. Ask yourself a few key questions:

• What is my primary goal? Are you hatching a handful of hens for a backyard flock, or are you planning to raise 50 meat birds this year? Your desired capacity will guide your choice between the Nurture Right 360 and the Ultimate.
• What species will I hatch most often? If you plan on hatching quail or ducks exclusively, make sure you budget for the necessary accessories like the quail tray or a good secondary hygrometer.
• Do I have a plan for what comes next? An incubator is just the first step. You need a brooder, feeders, waterers, and eventually, coop space. A successful hatch of 22 chicks can quickly overwhelm a small brooder. The all-in-one kit can be a great choice if you haven’t planned this part out.

Choosing an incubator is about matching the tool to the job. Manna Pro provides excellent tools for a range of small-farm jobs. By thinking through your entire plan, from egg to adult bird, you can select the unit that will set you up for a rewarding and successful first year of hatching.

Ultimately, Manna Pro’s incubator lineup is about lowering the barrier to entry for one of the most rewarding parts of farming. They provide reliable, thoughtfully designed tools that manage the technical details so you can experience the magic of seeing new life emerge. A successful first hatch builds the confidence you need to grow your flock and your skills for years to come.