One of the most frequent questions I have been asked over the years is which incubator I recommend for hatching green tree python eggs.  My answer has always been the same - that most incubators will work if you know how to adapt them to meet the needs of chondro eggs.  I have had many requests to order my own home made incubators, which I have had to regretfully turn down.  I love these melamine incubators for several reasons, but these days I barely have time to make my own equipment.  Many hobbyists aren't comfortable making their own incubator, and commercial units have tended to be either inexpensive and less than optimum in performance, or very costly.  Click here for info about my incubators, and for general incubator information.

I am very pleased to finally have a mid-priced, highly functional incubator to recommend to those in need of such a unit:  The Avey Precision Incubators.  Designed by Jim Avey and based on his popular parrot brooders, the Avey Reptile Incubators are a combination of simplicity and ingenuity.  There are two sizes; the Rept-48 and the Rept-100.

The Rept-48 is built using a 48 qt. Rubbermaid cooler, and is priced at $599  The Rept-100 uses an igloo 100 qt. cooler for the cabinet and is priced at $799  The larger unit is described below, but both incubators have similar functions and performance.

The Avey Rept-100 is built using a 100 qt. igloo cooler.  It has an adjustable vent in the outer lid.  The cabinet measures approximately 36" x 18" x 18".  Digital microprocessor temperature controls assure ease of use and reliability.

The bottom compartment is filled with bottled water.  This acts as a heat sink and provides thermal stability and fast temperature recovery when the top is opened.  Avey claims the incubators are stable to one tenth of a degree Celcius and my own experiments back this up.

The Avey incubators have dual heating elements, and low CFM fans to circulate the air.  The electronics are contained neatly inside a plastic housing, and small hoses route the heated air through the bottom compartment.  Egg boxes sit on a shelf over the heat sink.  One custom Avey no-substrate egg box with adjustable ventilation is supplied with the incubators; the larger unit will hold two boxes.  When properly set up, the humidity inside the egg box will be near saturation.

This photo shows the clear two-piece acrylic inner lid that allows opening the outer lid to inspect the eggs without dumping all the heat and humidity.  Once half can be slid over top of the other, and finger holes are provided.  Each element of these incubators has been carefully thought out.

The readout on the front of the incubator is presented in both Celcius and Fahrenheit, and is resolved in tenths of a degree.  The relative humidity inside the cabinet is also shown, between 40% and 99%.  The temperature adjustment is pass code protected to prevent accidental or unauthorized changes, and there are high and low temperature alarms.

The Rept-48 is equipped with a cigarette lighter plug for use in a car.  This can be a lifesaver in the event of a power outage!  An adapter (included) allows the incubator to be used indoors with any 120 volt AC outlet.

I do not have any financial stake in Avey, Inc.  I am presenting this information to the chondro community because a good, precise incubator with a moderate price point has been needed for a long time.  I feel the Avey units meet this need well and are a good alternative for those not comfortable making their own incubators.  The compact size, the ability to strip them down and disinfect all the parts, the ease of setup and use, portability, and the fact that they can be operated in a car in an emergency, are all advantages.

Like any incubator design, the Avey units are not the 'magic' answer for incubating chondro eggs, and users will need to have an understanding of the needs of GTP eggs to obtain success.  Full details of all aspects of breeding and incubation methods can be found in my book, The Complete Chondro.  For notes about setting up and using the Avey Rept-100, click here.

Visit "Hatch Chondro" for more details and to order from Avey Incubators, LLC.  Shipping via UPS ground service to the continental U.S. is very reasonable.