can u turn food dehydrator into incubator??

[Cornflower]

We have several neighbors whose birds are laying eggs in various places on our property and the neighbors don't want the eggs, so when I find them, I put them in our excalibur dehydrator, 99.5-100 degrees and a large rectangular tray of water on the bottom. I leave one dehydrator tray in and put it just above the water tray, The eggs go on this tray. I have never tested the humidity and the eggs that end up not hatching usually weren't fertilized to begin with, but there are some that don't fully form. The partially developed eggs are kept in the same space as the ones that end up hatching, so I'm assuming it's a genetic issue rather than a problem with the incubation. When I first started "saving" these eggs from nightly predators, I didn't expect such a high success rate, but then again, I'm just supply9ing a constant heat source and some nearby water for humidity, I'm really not the one doing all the hard work!

I'm glad you mention you have an Excalibur dehydrator. I have an old one with several trays and the door is broken so it barely hangs on by one bottom hinge. I was afraid it would dry the eggs out and kill them. So I'm going to mate a cardboard box in front of it, plug off the rear ventholes (the fan and thermostat are all inside) to force it to just recirculate the air. But by seeing you have success just by adding a water pan, I am very hopeful that my modifications will be just as successful. I'm going to make the dehydrator door into a hatch at the top of the cardboard box, and then I'll be able to cut the ventholes in the cardboard box. This way I can hopefully run it as a dry incubator with no water pan, or even have all kinds of room to place a homemade hygrometer and test it as a humid incubator.
With a very adjustable temperature setting, and such a dutiful heating cycle, a constant-running fan this old dehydrator really is a hopeful candidate for an incubator.
Thank you for sharing this. I have a friend who is ready to expand his chicken operations and I think my nagging interest in hatching chickens is a timely opportunity for him!

 

[Sally PB]

With a very adjustable temperature setting, and such a dutiful heating cycle, a constant-running fan this old dehydrator really is a hopeful candidate for an incubator.

Just in case someone reads this in the future... PLEASE check the temp with a calibrated thermometer. I have an Excaliber dehydrator, and found its temperature is about 10 degrees high. That's not important for drying food, but could be catastrophic for incubating.

 

[Cornflower]

Just in case someone reads this in the future... PLEASE check the temp with a calibrated thermometer. I have an Excaliber dehydrator, and found its temperature is about 10 degrees high. That's not important for drying food, but could be catastrophic for incubating.

Yes, I'm using two thermometers and am setting the dial according to them. The dial is not at all accurate, but the dehydrator does hold a steady temperature within .5 degrees. You can hear the sound of the fan change every half minute or more sometimes.
I have started incubating some chicken eggs. I got 15 to try it out with. As I'm going through this and reading more about it, I'm starting to panic and wonder what hatching day is going to be like. The clutch has already lost too much weight by day 4, about 10 grams too much. I've put my huge cake pan full of water in the bottom now and hope it keeps them to weight. But hatching day needs to be very humid, as I read. I'm thinking of constructing a still air standard hatching box for lockdown, because I can't see how this is supposed to work out.
I didn't construct the cardboard box annex like I said, I just put them in with a smaller pan.
If only incubators that carry large numbers of eggs weren't so much more expensive!
I think we'll be building our own cabinet style incubator. Maybe out of an old dresser or just start with new wood from scratch.
I have some old aquariums I will be starting to make a different set up for these. I don't think I could stand watching babies die as they hatch if they make it that far. I also have a large Styrofoam shipping box that might work better yet. I'm not liking not having humidity control on this.

 

[Cornflower]

Yes, I'm using two thermometers and am setting the dial according to them. The dial is not at all accurate, but the dehydrator does hold a steady temperature within .5 degrees. You can hear the sound of the fan change every half minute or more sometimes.
I have started incubating some chicken eggs. I got 15 to try it out with. As I'm going through this and reading more about it, I'm starting to panic and wonder what hatching day is going to be like. The clutch has already lost too much weight by day 4, about 10 grams too much. I've put my huge cake pan full of water in the bottom now and hope it keeps them to weight. But hatching day needs to be very humid, as I read. I'm thinking of constructing a still air standard hatching box for lockdown, because I can't see how this is supposed to work out.
I didn't construct the cardboard box annex like I said, I just put them in with a smaller pan.
If only incubators that carry large numbers of eggs weren't so much more expensive!
I think we'll be building our own cabinet style incubator. Maybe out of an old dresser or just start with new wood from scratch.
I have some old aquariums I will be starting to make a different set up for these. I don't think I could stand watching babies die as they hatch if they make it that far. I also have a large Styrofoam shipping box that might work better yet. I'm not liking not having humidity control on this.

I'm posting updates on this hatch in a new thread in the forums, dated from May 26, 2023.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

I'm posting updates on this hatch in a new thread in the forums, dated from May 26, 2023.

Can you put up a link?

 

[Cornflower]

Can you put up a link?

Yes, thank you for your interest!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...r-hatching-im-doing-it.1581945/#post-26875403

 

[LollieBubbles]

So, has anyone come up with a verdict? I have a huge dehydrator and got to wondering.

I have 7 in the dehydrator as we speak! LOL One is still in between my boobies so at bedtime I'll pop her in there too. She peeps every now and then. So glad I came across this thread.