Homemade incubators

What breed of chicken should I hatch for the Easter hatch along I wanted to do Cochins but I can't seem to find any eggs for them:(
 
For those of you making home made incubators, they can be made very cheaply, even using cardboard boxes, newspaper for insulation, salvaged electrical components and light bulb from an old lamp. However, I strongly suggest that you invest in a thermostat. Check Incubator warehouse. Many options to be had for around $20 including shipping. If you combine your order with something else on Amazon, you can get free shipping, bringing your cost way down. Check out STC1000! It will make all the difference between a successful hatch with healthy chicks and a failed hatch with cooked eggs or deformed chicks. Also, any thermometer you use MUST be calibrated, no matter where you get it from or how much it cost. Before setting eggs, please read "hatching eggs 101" in the learning center. Committing to hatching an egg also entails doing your very best to ensure that it's a healthy hatch. A lot of responsibility comes with initiating that little life.
 
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This is just my thoughts, but cardboard incubators would not hold humidity well. Seems like moisture would be absorbed in the cardboard. Anyways, I chose to make a homemade styrofoam incubator. I seen a youtube video how to make one. It said it cost about $20 to make,and it cost me $23 even with tax. The most expensive parts are the lamp bottle kit, and the hygrometer. I would suggest getting a hygrometer that you just put the sensor in the incubator,and the whole unit stays outside the incubator. My black unit absorbs the light and reads higher than it is! I also added a mercury thermometer for temps.

You should test it and make sure you can maintain temp and humidity before setting eggs. Still air incubators should be about 102. I added vent holes to warm or cool to temp. The temp in your house can and does affect your incubator! I left for errands for 2 hrs,came back to a 106 spike. It got warm outside,and the house got warmer. I ended up moving my eggs to a hovabator after that on day 7,but day 8 candling they were all moving and hatched 3 days ago. Don't give up if it happens. I am trying again on a goose egg and not moving it this time.
 

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