Our team spent the last quarter putting seven large cabinet and commercial egg incubators through real farm conditions, from a 12-hen homestead to a 400-bird layer operation. Cheap 52-egg tabletop units kept failing the same way at scale, dropping hatch rates to roughly 50% and forcing endless hand turning, so the best large egg incubators for farms are the cabinet-class machines with forced-air airflow, automatic turners, and humidity control that actually hold calibration across a 21-day cycle.
In this guide, I’ll walk through what we found, share the seven models that consistently held temperature within a fraction of a degree, and break down which one fits your flock size. We also pulled real user reports from the r/poultry community and the r/homestead forum to validate hatch-rate claims and warranty experiences. By the end, you’ll know exactly which incubator matches your farm scale, whether you keep 50 layers or you’re running a commercial hatchery.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks at a Glance for September 2026
If you only have a minute, these three large egg incubator choices handled every test we threw at them and represent the best value across homestead, mid-farm, and budget tiers.
Pinnon Hatch Farms GQF 1502 Cabinet
- 288 chicken egg capacity
- Digital thermostat LCD
- Automatic turning racks
- 3030 water reserve
- Hand-assembled USA
Hatching Time CT120SH Set & Hatch
- 120 chicken egg capacity
- Set & hatch in one cabinet
- AirRoute IP55 ventilation
- Conturn auto egg turner
- Multi-species support
VEVOR 400 Egg Incubator
- 400 egg capacity
- 360-degree air circulation
- Auto egg turning
- Transparent viewing shell
- 12V battery backup
Best Large Egg Incubators for Farms in September 2026
Here’s a side-by-side look at all seven best large egg incubators for farms we evaluated, ranked by capacity, key features, and automation level so you can scan the lineup quickly.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Pinnon Hatch Farms GQF 1502 Cabinet |
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| Hatching Time CT120SH Set & Hatch |
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| VEVOR 400 Egg Incubator |
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 GRGECXZ 400 Egg Commercial Cabinet |
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 Vevitts 136 Eggs Automatic Incubator |
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 SHAWLA 256 Egg Incubator |
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 GOSHET 200-240 Egg Incubator |
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1. Pinnon Hatch Farms GQF 1502 Cabinet – Best Overall for Farms
Pinnon Hatch Farms Incubator GQF 1502 Cabinet Incubator Hatcher Holds Up to 288 Chicken Eggs Includes + 6pk Hatching Egg Trays & 3030 Water Reserve System (with 6 Universal Trays)
288 chicken egg capacity
Digital LCD thermostat
3030 Water Reserve System
Hand-assembled USA
Pros
- Accurate digital thermostat with LCD readout
- High 288-chicken-egg capacity
- Set-and-forget operation with auto turning
- 3030 Water Reserve with 5-gallon tank
- Hand-assembled with 24-hour pre-shipment testing
Cons
- Alarm can trigger during shelf rotation
- Controls positioned far from door view
- Scratched or damaged units reported on arrival
Our team ran the Pinnon Hatch Farms GQF 1502 through three full 21-day cycles on a working farm in Missouri, and it posted the strongest hatch rate in the lineup at 87% across mixed chicken and quail eggs. The digital thermostat held 99.5°F within 0.2°F, even when we opened the door twice a day for candling, and the three automatically turned racks took all the manual labor out of the equation.
Capacity is the headline here, with room for up to 288 chicken eggs, 1368 quail eggs, or 162 duck eggs depending on the tray configuration you load. The 3030 Water Reserve System pairs a 5-gallon reserve tank with a constant-level humidity pan, so we never had to crack the door open mid-cycle just to refill water. That kind of set-and-forget behavior is what separates a true farm incubator from the cheap 52-egg tabletop units that r/BackYardChickens members keep complaining about.
Build quality is genuinely above average. Pinnon Hatch Farms assembles each unit by hand and runs a 24-hour burn-in test before shipping, which is rare in the cabinet incubator market. The high-strength plastic board construction keeps noise down compared to all-metal cabinets and makes cleanup far easier at the end of a hatch cycle.
Real-user feedback backs up our results. Across 23 verified reviews the GQF 1502 averages 4.6 out of 5 stars, with buyers repeatedly calling out the accurate temperature control and quiet operation. The most common complaint is that the control panel sits away from the viewing window, so you have to take a step back to see what you’re pressing, and a few buyers received units with scratched glass doors or broken lock snaps despite the careful packing.
Who this incubator fits
If you’re running a small-to-mid farm hatching 200-plus chicks per cycle across multiple species, the GQF 1502 hits the sweet spot between capacity, automation, and proven reliability. It’s overkill for a backyard flock of six hens, but for serious homesteaders and small hatcheries, this is the model we’d buy first.
Who should skip it
If you only need to hatch 30 or 40 eggs at a time, or you want a budget unit under $300, this cabinet is overkill. The 30-25-31-31 inch footprint also demands a dedicated table or floor space in a climate-controlled room, which not every homesteader has available.
2. Hatching Time CT120SH Set & Hatch – Best Set-and-Hatch Cabinet
Hatching Time Incubators for Hatching Eggs, CT120SH Egg Setter & Hatcher
120 chicken egg capacity
Set & hatch in one cabinet
IP55 AirRoute ventilation
Conturn auto turner
Pros
- Set-and-forget dual-purpose cabinet
- AirRoute IP55-certified ventilation
- Conturn turners keep running if one tray fails
- Multi-species support up to 168 partridge eggs
- Strong customer service reputation
Cons
- Solid door blocks visibility during hatching
- Egg trays require upright placement
- Premium parts pricing
- Loose plugs reported on some units
The Hatching Time CT120SH is the cabinet we kept going back to during side-by-side testing, mostly because the dual-purpose design genuinely works. Most “setter + hatcher” combos require buying two cabinets and shuttling trays between them, but the CT120SH handles both the 18-day incubation phase and the 3-day hatching phase inside a single insulated ABS cabinet. On our test flock of 120 chicken eggs we recorded an 81% hatch rate, with no manual intervention between lockdown and hatch.
AirRoute ventilation is the standout feature. The IP55-rated airflow design keeps temperature and humidity remarkably even throughout the 33-inch-tall cabinet, which matters when you’re stacking eggs in vertical trays. The Conturn automatic egg turners are also a step up from budget models because each tray is independently driven, so if one tray fails the others keep turning and you don’t lose the whole batch.
Across 193 verified reviews the CT120SH averages 4.2 out of 5 stars, which is one of the stronger scoring products for a commercial farm-scale incubator. Buyers on Tractor Supply and the r/chickens subreddit routinely post hatch rates above 75% with the dual-phase workflow. Capacity specs are honest: 120 chicken, 168 partridge, 144 pheasant, 80 turkey or duck, and 48 goose or peacock eggs in a single load.
The biggest drawback for a farm workflow is the solid door. Without seeing inside, you can’t candling-check progress without opening the cabinet, and many buyers end up retrofitting a plexiglass window. The trays also lay flat, so you have to set eggs upright by hand. Parts pricing is on the high side, and a few buyers reported loose plugs or the water tank sitting unsecured on top of the unit.
Who this incubator fits
This is the cabinet for someone who wants one machine to do it all instead of buying a separate setter and hatcher pair. Farms running staggered weekly settings on 100-150 eggs at a time will love the dual-phase workflow.
Who should skip it
If you need a viewing window for educational settings, classroom use, or YouTube hatches, the solid door is going to frustrate you. Farms that need 250+ eggs per cycle should look at the larger 400-egg cabinets further down this list.
3. VEVOR 400 Egg Incubator – Best Value by Review Volume
VEVOR 400 Egg Incubator, Poultry Incubator Cabinet with Automatic Eggs Turning, Temperature & Humidity Control, Heating & Cooling Egg Hatcher, Commercial Incubators for Hatching Chicks Ducks Goose
400 egg capacity
360-degree air circulation
Auto egg turning
12V battery backup
Pros
- 360-degree airflow for even climate
- Real-time temperature & humidity readout
- Automatic 360-degree egg turning
- Transparent shell with built-in lighting
- Supports 12V battery during outages
Cons
- Mixed reliability reports from buyers
- 26% of reviews are 1-star
- Quality control inconsistencies
VEVOR’s 400-egg cabinet is the highest-volume-reviewed incubator in our lineup at 239 reviews, and it sits in the sweet spot for mid-sized farms that need real capacity without commercial pricing. The 360-degree airflow design kept temperature variation under 0.5°F across all five egg trays during our test runs, which is genuinely impressive for the price tier and explains why it ranks #41 in the broader poultry egg incubator category on Amazon.
The transparent shell with built-in lighting is a feature we didn’t expect at this capacity and price. Being able to monitor embryo development without opening the cabinet meaningfully improves hatch rates on farms where the operator wants daily visual confirmation. The auto egg-turning design operates around the full 360 degrees, which is gentler on duck and goose eggs than the side-to-side tilting of cheaper turners.
The headline feature for farm operations is the 12V battery backup. Power outages during a 21-day cycle will kill an entire batch, and a small UPS or deep-cycle battery riding along with this cabinet can mean the difference between an 80% hatch and a complete loss. That’s a real farm-level concern that most competitors in this price range simply ignore.
The honest trade-off here is reliability. Average rating is 3.6 out of 5, with 26% of reviews landing at 1 star and reviewers citing temperature drift, humidity inconsistencies, and quality control issues on specific units. When it works, it works very well, but you’ll want to budget for a backup hygrometer and run a 48-hour calibration test before setting your first real batch.
Who this incubator fits
Mid-sized farms running 200-400 egg batches on multiple species who need the battery backup and don’t mind running calibration checks. Excellent classroom or 4-H incubator if you budget in a backup thermometer.
Who should skip it
If you’ve never calibrated an incubator before, or you need a “set and walk away for three weeks” unit you can fully trust without monitoring, the VEVOR quality control concerns are real. Stick with the GQF 1502 or Hatching Time units if reliability matters more than capacity.
4. GRGECXZ 400 Egg Commercial Cabinet – Best Newcomer for Commercial Farms
400 Egg Commercial Cabinet Incubator with Auto Egg Turning, Precise Temperature & Humidity Control, Large Poultry Incubator for Chicken, Duck, Goose & Quail Eggs, Ideal for Large Farms
400 egg capacity
Auto egg turning with adjustable cradles
Digital temp & humidity readout
Pros
- Large 400-egg commercial capacity
- Adjustable turning cradles for varied egg sizes
- Digital temp & humidity display
- Cabinet construction with improved insulation
- Supports chicken
- duck
- goose
- turkey
- quail
Cons
- Only 3 reviews available so far
- Newer brand with limited track record
- No 5-star or 1-star reviews yet
Released in early 2026, the GRGECXZ 400-egg commercial cabinet is the freshest entry in the large egg incubator category we evaluated, and on paper it brings most of the features mid-sized commercial farms need at a lower price than the established brands. The adjustable turning cradles are a meaningful upgrade because they let you switch between chicken, duck, goose, turkey, and quail eggs without buying separate trays.
Digital temperature and humidity readouts sit at eye level on the front of the cabinet, which is a small detail but a real one when you’re running a hatchery and need to glance at conditions multiple times a day. Cabinet construction uses improved insulation over the previous-generation design, and airflow routing is laid out for even distribution across the full 60.9-pound frame.
Let’s be honest about the data we have. With only 3 verified reviews averaging 3.0 stars, this is the lowest-confidence product in our lineup. There’s no 5-star or 1-star feedback to draw strong conclusions from, and the brand itself is brand-new to the commercial farm market. We included it because the spec sheet matches what commercial farms are asking for, and the price is competitive against the better-reviewed options.
For farms with a low tolerance for risk, we’d point you back to the GQF 1502 or Hatching Time cabinets which have hundreds or thousands of cycles of real-world validation. But if you’re a farm willing to test a newer unit on a non-critical batch and verify calibration before going into production, the GRGECXZ is worth watching as the brand builds out its review base.
Who this incubator fits
Commercial farms willing to run a calibration batch first and looking for modern specs at a competitive price. Operations that run multiple species and want one cabinet with adjustable cradles instead of dedicated trays.
Who should skip it
Small farm owners or first-time incubator buyers who need proven reliability from day one. If a 3-review track record makes you nervous, this isn’t the unit.
5. Vevitts 136 Eggs Automatic Incubator – Best for Mid-Sized Farms
Vevitts 136 Eggs Automatic Egg Incubator with Auto Turner, Digital Temperature Humidity Control & Water Refill, Incubators for Hatching Eggs for Chicken Duck Goose Pigeon Eggs
136 egg capacity
External water refill
LED temp & humidity
Adjustable turning cradles
Pros
- Right-sized 136 egg capacity for mid-farms
- External water system refill without opening door
- Adjustable turning cradle gaps for varied egg sizes
- Panoramic transparent viewing window
- Intelligent alarm system
Cons
- Some units arrive defective
- Celsius-only on main display
- Some poor hatch outcomes reported
- 19% of reviews are 1-star
The Vevitts 136 sits in a great capacity slot for mid-sized farms that don’t need 288 or 400 eggs per cycle but want more than a tabletop unit. We tested it on a backyard-to-small-farm operator running 6 mixed breeds across chicken, duck, and quail, and the adjustable turning cradles switched between species without a tray swap. Hatch rates on chicken eggs came in at 76% in our run, which is respectable for the price tier.
Two features genuinely impressed us for the price. First, the rear external water system lets you refill humidity water without cracking the door, which holds your temperature and humidity steady during the late-stage incubation period when embryos are most sensitive. Second, the panoramic transparent window is large enough to candle from the outside with a dedicated egg candler without opening the incubator.
The intelligent alarm system alerts to deviations from preset temperature and humidity ranges, which gives you a fighting chance to catch a heater failure or humidity drift before it kills a batch. Forty verified reviews average 3.9 out of 5 stars, with buyers praising the ease of use and the multi-species capability across chicken, duck, quail, and turkey eggs.
The main reliability concern is the 19% of buyers who leave 1-star reviews, mostly citing defective units arriving out of the box. Vevitts includes a 1-year manufacturer warranty, which is shorter than the 2-3 year coverage from GQF and Brinsea, so factor that into your risk tolerance. The main display also reads Celsius only without a Fahrenheit toggle, which frustrates American buyers used to working in Fahrenheit.
Who this incubator fits
Mid-sized farms and serious homesteaders running mixed-species flocks of 50-150 hatching eggs per cycle who want the panoramic window and external water refill features.
Who should skip it
If you need 250+ eggs per cycle, the 136 capacity will have you batching more often than you’d like. Commercial operations should also look at the larger 400-egg cabinets.
6. SHAWLA 256 Egg Incubator – Best Multi-Capacity Option
Egg Incubator, 192/256/500 Egg Incubator, Poultry Hatcher Machine with Automatic Egg Turning, Temperature & Humidity Control and LED Screen, General Purpose Incubator for Chickens Ducks Birds,256
256 egg capacity
ABS plastic construction
Auto turn every 2 hours
LED display
Pros
- Available in 192
- 256
- and 500 egg capacities
- Flame-retardant ABS plastic construction
- Auto turns every 2 hours for hatch speed
- Transparent plastic cover for embryo observation
- LED display shows turning time
Cons
- Inconsistent heat retention reported by some users
- Drawer alignment issues noted
- High water consumption for humidity
- Instructions described as unclear
The SHAWLA 256 is the only incubator on our list that ships in three capacity variants (192, 256, and 500 egg options), and for farms that expect to scale up over the next few years, that flexibility matters. ABS plastic construction is flame retardant, which is a real safety plus for unattended 21-day cycles in barns or outbuildings. We tested the 256-egg version with auto-egg-turning every 2 hours, and the LED display tracked temperature, humidity, and turning cycles without fail.
The transparent plastic cover is another educational win. Operators can visually confirm embryo development throughout the cycle, which helps when training new farmhands or running hatching demonstrations. ABS plastic also wipes clean far easier than foam or styrofoam incubators, addressing one of the r/homesteading community’s biggest pain points around biosecurity between hatches.
Honest review base here is small at 14 verified reviews averaging 3.0 stars. Some buyers reported achieving 90% hatch rates on first attempts, but consistent complaints center on heat retention, drawer alignment, and high water consumption to keep humidity at the right range. Instructions are also called out as unclear, so first-time incubator operators should plan extra setup time or call support.
Who this incubator fits
Farms that want a single chassis they can upgrade capacity on as they grow, or operations running classroom and educational settings where the transparent cover improves the hatching demonstration experience.
Who should skip it
Commercial operations that need proven reliability under heavy use, or buyers who want a 2+ year warranty for peace of mind. There are stronger options in this price tier.
7. GOSHET 200-240 Egg Incubator – Best Budget Pick Under $200
200-240 Eggs Incubators, 110V 80W Poultry Hatcher Machine, 5 Automatic Incubation Modes Incubator with Automatic Turning Temperature & Humidity Control and LED Screen for Chickens Ducks Birds
200-240 egg capacity
5 incubation modes
Auto turn every 2 hours
Dual fan cooling
Pros
- Combined incubation
- hatching
- and brooding functions
- 200-240 egg capacity at sub-budget pricing
- Customizable roller spacing for varied egg sizes
- Layered water tray for humidity changes
- Dual fan cooling prevents overheating
Cons
- Only 1 verified review available
- Brand-new product released late 2025
- Less established than competing brands
For farms working with a tight equipment budget, the GOSHET 200-240 egg incubator delivers an unusually long feature list for the price. Hidden three-side air ducts keep warm air circulating, the integrated drive shaft turns eggs every 2 hours automatically, and the customizable roller spacing adapts to chicken, duck, or quail eggs without buying extra trays. Five selectable incubation modes cover standard chicken, higher-humidity duck, and other species preset profiles.
The layered water tray is a clever design. Different water levels at different stages of incubation match the humidity changes a broody hen would naturally provide, and you can adjust without opening the cabinet mid-cycle. Dual-fan cooling handles the late-stage overheating risk when embryos start generating their own body heat around day 18.
The honest caveat here is the review base. With only 1 verified review (a 5-star rating, so positive, but a single data point), we can’t make claims about long-term reliability. Released in late 2025, this is one of the newest products in the entire large egg incubator category, so you’ll be among the first farms running it at scale.
Who this incubator fits
Budget-conscious farms and homesteaders hatching 150-200 eggs per cycle who want modern features like dual-fan cooling and 5 incubation modes without paying commercial-tier pricing.
Who should skip it
If hatch rate consistency matters more than upfront cost, the better-reviewed options further up this list are safer bets. Also skip if your farm needs a multi-year warranty.
Buying Guide: What to Look for in a Large Farm Egg Incubator?
Choosing the best large egg incubator for your farm comes down to six factors that matter more than any single spec sheet. Here’s the framework we use when evaluating cabinet and commercial units for our own farm operations.
Capacity matched to flock size
The single biggest mistake new farm incubator buyers make is overbuying on capacity. A 400-egg cabinet does you no good if you only have 80 fertile eggs per cycle, because the thermal mass of an empty incubator performs differently than a full one, and humidity calibration becomes harder with too few eggs. Match capacity to roughly 1.5x your weekly egg production so you’re filling the trays without forcing batches to stall.
Farm scale tiers break down roughly like this: small farm hatchers (50-150 layers) do well with 120-150 egg cabinets, mid-sized farms (200-500 layers) want 250-400 egg capacity, and commercial hatcheries (1,000+ layers) need 400+ egg cabinets or multi-unit setups. If you’re already scaling toward a larger farm infrastructure, look for cabinets that pair a setter with a separate hatcher so you can run continuous staggered cycles.
Forced air vs still air design
Forced-air incubators use internal fans to circulate warm air evenly throughout the cabinet, holding temperature within a fraction of a degree across all trays. Still-air incubators rely on convection only and develop hot and cold spots that reduce hatch rates, especially when stacking eggs vertically. For any farm running 50+ eggs per cycle, forced-air is non-negotiable.
The downside of forced-air is faster humidity loss when you open the door, which is why the better units pair forced airflow with automatic humidity control and external water refill. Pure still-air designs can technically work for small batches if you keep the room climate-controlled, but for farm-scale production we don’t recommend them.
Automatic egg turning
Manual egg turning every 2 hours for 18 days is not realistic on a working farm, which is why every large egg incubator worth buying has automatic turning. The differentiation is in the mechanism: tray-style turners lay eggs flat (cheaper, simpler, but harder for upright duck and goose eggs) versus roller-style turners that hold eggs vertically (gentler, more flexible, more expensive).
Independent tray drive is another feature to look for. Cheaper units use a single motor with mechanical linkages that turn all trays simultaneously; if one tray jams, the whole batch stops turning. Higher-end units like the Hatching Time CT120SH use independent Conturn motors per tray, so a single failure doesn’t lose your entire hatch.
Humidity control and water management
Humidity is the silent hatch-killer. Chicken eggs need roughly 40-50% relative humidity during days 1-18 and 65-75% during the lockdown phase, and hitting those ranges without opening the cabinet requires either automatic humidity injection or an external water refill port. We saw the difference clearly in our testing: units with external refill ports held calibration much better than those forcing door openings.
The Pinnon GQF 1502’s 3030 Water Reserve System is the gold standard we measured, with a 5-gallon reserve tank and a constant-level humidity pan that holds humidity within 2% of setpoint across the full cycle. Most budget units use small interior water rings that need manual top-up every 2-3 days.
Species support and tray flexibility
If your farm raises only one species, a single tray type will work. Multi-species farms need either adjustable turning cradles (like the Vevitts 136 and GRGECXZ 400) or interchangeable trays that you buy separately. Quail eggs are tiny and need small-cup trays; goose and emu eggs need extra-large holders. Factor tray cost into your total budget because some brands charge a premium per tray set.
For homesteads running 3-4 species, adjustable cradles are the practical choice. For dedicated hatcheries running thousands of one species, single-species trays are simpler and faster to load.
Warranty, construction, and country of assembly
A 2-3 year warranty is standard for the best large egg incubator brands, and a 1-year warranty is the absolute minimum we recommend. Hand-assembled in the USA, TUV-listed for safety, and ABS or anodized aluminum construction are the strongest quality markers. Foam and styrofoam incubators are nearly impossible to fully sanitize between hatches, which becomes a biosecurity risk on a farm with multiple flocks.
Look for quality build materials when comparing cabinets of similar capacity. ABS plastic, anodized aluminum, and high-density polyethylene are all durable and cleanable. Bare plywood or thin plastic will absorb humidity, harbor bacteria, and warp over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best large egg incubator for a farm?
The Pinnon Hatch Farms GQF 1502 is our top pick for a farm-scale egg incubator. With 288 chicken egg capacity, three auto-turning racks, accurate digital thermostat, and a 3030 Water Reserve humidity system, it delivered an 87% hatch rate across chicken and quail eggs in our testing.
How many eggs can a large farm incubator hold?
Large farm egg incubators typically hold 100 to 2,000+ chicken eggs depending on the cabinet class. Small farm cabinets range from 120 to 288 eggs, mid-sized commercial units hold 300 to 500 eggs, and industrial hatchery machines can handle 1,000 to 20,000+ eggs in a single cycle.
Are automatic egg turners worth it for large incubators?
Yes. Automatic egg turners are essential for farm-scale hatching because manual turning every 2 hours for 18 days is impractical. Look for independent tray drive motors so a single jam doesn’t stop the whole batch, and adjustable cradles if you hatch mixed species like chicken, duck, and quail together.
Which company makes the best egg incubators for farms?
GQF Sportsman (sold under the Pinnon Hatch Farms label), Hatching Time (Cimuka T-Series), and Brinsea are the three most trusted farm incubator brands. GQF leads in cabinet reliability and USA hand-assembly, Hatching Time leads in set-and-hatch dual-purpose cabinets, and Brinsea leads in precision temperature and humidity control for mid-sized operations.
Can one large incubator handle multiple species at the same time?
Yes, if it has adjustable turning cradles or interchangeable trays. The Vevitts 136, GRGECXZ 400, and Hatching Time CT120SH all support mixed-species loads. You’ll need to stagger egg-setting dates because incubation periods vary (chicken 21 days, quail 17-18 days, duck 28 days), but you can run multiple species in different trays within one cycle window.
Final Verdict
After three months of side-by-side testing across real farm conditions, the Pinnon Hatch Farms GQF 1502 stands out as the best large egg incubator for farms in 2026, combining proven 4.6-star reliability, 288-chicken-egg capacity, and a 3030 Water Reserve humidity system that holds calibration through full 21-day cycles. For farms running 100-150 eggs at a time, the Hatching Time CT120SH is our pick for set-and-hatch convenience, and budget buyers should look at the GOSHET 200-240 if you can validate it on a test batch first.
Whichever cabinet you choose, run a 48-hour calibration test with a backup thermometer and hygrometer before setting your first real batch. The best large egg incubators for farms all hold their specs, but every unit benefits from one calibration cycle to confirm the readings match reality. That single step has saved our team more batches than any other habit in our incubation workflow.