Wow. I'm just about the opposite of the hatching thing down here, since I don't get any snow in winter. But because of our very hot summer's I have to start the hatching process before most other's do. I want the chick's to be adapted to the heat before it hits. Then it's putting several water...
As the number of chickens and the feed need grows, I will keep that in mind.
Edited to add....
Better yet, I can always start looking now, or I can buy a new one for the house, and then move this old one out there. I bought this one used from a friend that had bought a new one several years ago.
I don't use the plastic ones neither. I bought some of those Behrens 31 gallon trash cans with lids. The handle on the lid had small gaps, so I filled them in with a sealant so that bugs couldn't get in. I have those sitting on an old budwieser delivery pallet that handles the weight and holds...
You might be needing some of these if you can find some cheaper used ones?
Steel Drum with Lid - 55 Gallon, Open Top, Unlined S-10758RT - Uline https://share.google/gEWvROKEi0zgtPxls
I don't use them on mine, and never have. I let thing's be as natural in that department as possible. A hen only can lay so many egg's in her life cycle and then she is spent, so why speed the spent part up on her?
Would putting some of those wooden fake eggs in with them help the incubator to appear full so that the real ones would stay warmer in a 12 egg incubator?