Diy incubator

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teaton

teaton

Songster
Apr 10, 2016
866
99
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Clarksville, TN
I kinda got myself into a pickle with a hen that half way incubated a dozen eggs,I wasn't even ready for it hadn't bought an incubator yet, the only ones at the store that is available now is a still air that I've heard iffy reviews on, If I do decide to buy one I want a quality one. Craigslist also didn't help much either so I scurried pintrest for a diy incubator and found a rather easy inexpensive temporary one that I could make. It involves a Styrofoam cooler a thermometer a hygrometer and a light bulb that plugs into a extention cord. My question is, has anyone made one of these? Did it work? Here's the link for reference.
http://www.mychickencoop.net/create-egg-incubator-30-minute/
 
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I have had several hatches with the still air incubator I use both still and forced. The downside is the flipping but I have had an 80% hatch rate in the ones from tractor and supply I have 2 :) the key with using the ones from there are to make sure you have a thermometer and a seperate one with a hydrometer. I actually really like the thermometer that came with mine from tractor and supply my kids broke them and it took a while to find ones similar on ebay.
 
The biggest thing is making sure you flip the eggs. The water reservoir in the bottom works good for the first few weeks when humidity is low. For lock down I put a plastic sandwich container with a sponge that fits perfectly in it so the baby chicks don't drown. I am always about DIY but I saw the post and wanted to comment.
 
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Wasn't sure if I had a pic but I found one. I use a bigger sponge now but.. This is one from tractor and supply I have 2 just like this. I have fit almost 40 at a time pull out any bad ones still have hatched at least 30 in it. If you do build one please post pics.
 
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I had great success also with my TSC Little Giant still air Incubators. I think people give them a bad reputation because they require a little more work to get their temps stabilized than the more expensive incubators but with some patience they work really well. Just make sure you always calibrate and test the thermometers that come with those. Those have been known to read a little off. Your incubator is only as good as your thermometer. Well technically your heat and humidity too. But you get the picture. Lol
 
I decided to make my own. It was fairly inexpensive and very easy to do, it took less than 30 mins to put it all together!
Here's the link I followed the direction of
http://www.stormthecastle.com/how-to-make-a/how-to-make-a-homemade-egg-incubator.htm
Basically just need a Styrofoam cooler a thermometer with humidity reader, a lamp light bulb socket or kit with cord, a 25 watt bulb, I used a mini because my cooler is small, and a 5x7 picture frame with glass, because that's what you will be using as a egg viewer, duct tape and a knife.
400

I made the egg viewer first but taking the glass cutting a hole for it on the top of the cooler and taping it really good with duct tape.
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Then I traced a hole in the small side of the cooler for the socket, taped it up really good installed the light bulb and made an egg rack on the other side. I used egg crate because I had it, but the instructions used wire.
400

Then I put in my dish of water and thermometer I used 2 dishes because they were small but eventually took one out because the humidity was too high. I also put the thermometer on the egg rack to get an acurate reading .
400

I tested to see how many eggs the rack could hold, I got one dozen!
400

Then I sealed it to see what happens, here's where I will need to tweak it , once it stabilize I'm guessing in a few hours if it is too hot I will need to make a small vent holes on the side of the cooler, and if it's not hot enough I will need to use a different light bulb, I'm crossing fingers on this one, yall wish me luck!
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400
 
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Had to change the light bulb to a 35 watt because it held steady at 88, also had to take the water dish out because the humidity was too high. Now we're getting closer to where we need to be :)
 
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I'll be lucky if any of them hatch between the hen sitting and not sitting and me taking them in and out of the coop for candeling, and the Flux swings of the incubator, but I'm not giving up yet!
 
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teaton said:
I decided to make my own. It was fairly inexpensive and very easy to do, it took less than 30 mins to put it all together!
Here's the link I followed the direction of
http://www.stormthecastle.com/how-to-make-a/how-to-make-a-homemade-egg-incubator.htm
Basically just need a Styrofoam cooler a thermometer with humidity reader, a lamp light bulb socket or kit with cord, a 25 watt bulb, I used a mini because my cooler is small, and a 5x7 picture frame with glass, because that's what you will be using as a egg viewer, duct tape and a knife.
400

I made the egg viewer first but taking the glass cutting a hole for it on the top of the cooler and taping it really good with duct tape.
400

Then I traced a hole in the small side of the cooler for the socket, taped it up really good installed the light bulb and made an egg rack on the other side. I used egg crate because I had it, but the instructions used wire.
400

Then I put in my dish of water and thermometer I used 2 dishes because they were small but eventually took one out because the humidity was too high. I also put the thermometer on the egg rack to get an acurate reading .
400

I tested to see how many eggs the rack could hold, I got one dozen!
400

Then I sealed it to see what happens, here's where I will need to tweak it , once it stabilize I'm guessing in a few hours if it is too hot I will need to make a small vent holes on the side of the cooler, and if it's not hot enough I will need to use a different light bulb, I'm crossing fingers on this one, yall wish me luck!
400

400
Click to expand...


That is really cool!!! The only thing I would be concerned about is ventilation. I don't see any places where air can get in but I could be wrong. Proper ventilation is just as important as temperature and humidity, without fresh air the embryos can't breath. Even right from the front as soon as they get lungs they absorb oxygen though the small pores in the eggshell to breath. But that is a really cool idea!!! I hope it all works out and get a good hatch rate! Keep us updated!
 

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