Brinsea Ovation 28 EX Incubator (Automatic)

The three Ovation 28 machines have different features. The Ovation 28 Eco has a digital temperature display and automatic egg turning. It’s the most basic version of the three.

The Ovation 28 Advance is the mid-spec machine. It has all the same features as the Eco, except the Advance has a digital humidity readout too.

The top of the range machine is the Ovation 28 EX which has every feature from the Eco and Advance models; digital temperature display, digital humidity display and automatic egg turning. But the EX version also has automatic humidity control with a built-in pumping system. Whereas, on the Eco and Advance models, humidity must be controlled manually by filling water troughs inside the machine.

The only difference between the two machines is the size and egg capacity. The Ovation 56 is a larger machine and holds up to 56 hen-sized eggs or equivalent. Whereas the Ovation 28 holds 28 hen-sized eggs or equivalent.

The Eco, Advance and EX versions of the Ovation 28 match the specifications of the Eco, Advance and EX versions of the Ovation 56. The only difference is the egg capacity.

In a ‘manual’ incubator, eggs must be turned ‘manually’, meaning you must turn each egg by hand usually around 3-4 times a day.

Automatic incubators will automatically turn the eggs for you. On some automatic machines, you can set the timings of the turns, as well as the duration or angle of the turn. This can be important if you’re incubating specialist birds such as falcons or exotic birds.

Semi-automatic incubators don’t require you to turn each egg by hand, but equally there is no motor to turn them for you either. So, normally semi-automatic machines have a handle or lever that you push and pull to roll or rock all the eggs at the same time. Or, some incubators have specially shaped bases that allow you to tilt the entire machine back and forth.

Please note that ‘manual’ and ‘automatic’, when used in the item name, only refers to the egg turning type. It does not relate to the humidity control or to any other feature.

If you see the term ‘ automatic’ in the item name, for example, the “Rcom 20 Max Incubator (Automatic)” or in the description, such as, “the ovation 28 Advance is a fully automatic incubator”, it generally refers to the egg turning; meaning the egg turning is fully automatic. ‘Automatic’ or ‘fully automatic’ does not refer to the humidity control or temperature control.

All incubators include a built-in thermostat, even those that do not have a digital display. So, temperature is always controlled automatically.

The first difference between the Ovation 28 EX and the Rcom 20 Max and Pro is the egg capacity. The Ovation 28 holds more eggs; up to 28 hen-sized eggs or equivalent. The Rcom 20 Max and Pro models can hold up to 20 hen-sized eggs, or equivalent.

The Ovation 28 EX, the Rcom 20 Max and the Rcom 20 Pro all have a humidity display and automatic humidity control. But, the type of control is different as the Ovation uses a pumping system whereas the Rcom 20 Max and Pro both use a heated water humidification unit instead, giving them more precise control.

Finally, the Rcom 20 Pro has a ‘species selector’ feature and specific settings for egg-turning; both of which are unavailable on the Ovation 28 EX.

Here's a video guide to setting-up or replacing the humidity pump tube on Brinsea Mini II, Maxi II or Ovation EX models.