info wanted in a vintage Buckeye Incubator

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Beckymca

Beckymca

Songster
9 Years
Jul 4, 2010
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I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this so I apologize in advance if it's not.

My aunt used to raise all her own chickens,my uncle ran this incubator many years ago without power, as they didn't have power back then. Sadly my uncle passed away many years ago in a car accident and my aunt knows little about how this machine originally worked. I'm likely going to convert it to electric heaters and fans but would LOVE info on the original operation of this incubator. It's an outside, large self contained incubator, approximately 6' tall, 6' wide and about 4' deep, she still has the trays and racks for it. She thinks it was last run about 27 yrs ago, any ideas where to get info from?!?!?! Thank you!!!!
 
Beckymca said:
I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this so I apologize in advance if it's not.

My aunt used to raise all her own chickens,my uncle ran this incubator many years ago without power, as they didn't have power back then. Sadly my uncle passed away many years ago in a car accident and my aunt knows little about how this machine originally worked. I'm likely going to convert it to electric heaters and fans but would LOVE info on the original operation of this incubator. It's an outside, large self contained incubator, approximately 6' tall, 6' wide and about 4' deep, she still has the trays and racks for it. She thinks it was last run about 27 yrs ago, any ideas where to get info from?!?!?! Thank you!!!!
Click to expand...
That doesn't look like a Buckeye incubator, more like a homemade job. I like it, but am sickened that it was left in the snow!

Please take more pictures if possible, and take that incubator out of the weather ASAP.

It may be too water damaged, if it has been left out there 27 years.
 
quintinp said:
That doesn't look like a Buckeye incubator, more like a homemade job. I like it, but am sickened that it was left in the snow!

Please take more pictures if possible, and take that incubator out of the weather ASAP.

It may be too water damaged, if it has been left out there 27 years.
Click to expand...

I apologize, after doing a little digging, I found out that this is in fact what you called it. I think it will take a LOT of TLC to get it in working order.
 
Yes, it is a buckeye, my aunt painted it and used it for a tool storage, lol. My understanding is that it was made to be an outside, self contained incubator. My husband thinks it ran on Kerosene. The inside looks great! The hinges need replacing and I'm sure it will need lots of TLC, but the racks and trays have been stored in the old barn and are in great shape. I'd like to know how it originally operated so I can attempt to restore it to it's original working order, if not we will repair it and update it to electric power. I'm already thinking that it would be a lot of eggs to turn 3 times a day so thinking we will re-do the rack system and get some turners in there. I'd be happy to incubate in this and move them to a more traditional bater for lockdown. Thanks and please share any info you can find on this wonderful piece of work/art!!! I'm hoping to get it home in a week or two and will definitely get more pictures and have a better idea of what it will need to go again. My goal is to having ot working for next year so I have time to tinker with it.
 
I went to see it yesterday and should of gotten more pictures but it's still full of tools. In the above picture the flags are covering the face plate which states it is a buckeye. The face plate also contains the igniter and damper adjustments. I live just outside of Belfast Maine which was once one of the leading growers of broilers. My husband cleaned chicken barns as a kid and told me most barns were run on kerosene back then. I think his theory, that it ran on k-1 is good place to start. Wish he had gone to look at it with me, but he opted out, lol... I'd love to run it the way it was meant to run but that may not be possible. Like I said it's an awesome piece of work/art and I'm totally interested in giving it a shot at another life, even if it means converting it to electric power. Again thanks!!!
 
I think converting it to electric would be the best way to go, this incubator is very interesting. I don't think I have seen a Buckeye incubator that was a cabinet style incubator.

I think it will need to be cleaned out thoroughly, and Maybe even power washed....... Just kidding. The inside walls will need to be sanded and painted. As for the right side area that is the heating portion of the incubator, it will need to be thoroughly cleaned, and have a wire brush scraping. I would probably use the large portion at the bottom right side as a storage space for hatching trays etc...

The top right could be used for the heating portion, I see the top right having a Large Fan, probably only One GQF heating coil, and a wafer thermostat placed a foot away from the heating element, with the thermostat being placed in the top.



By the way, does it have an opening top, because if it doesn't, it will be hard to redo all the heating that it requires electrically.

After doing my research, the incubator is a gas, kerosene heated incubator. It would be a major fire hazard to your family, and I wouldn't recommend doing a restoration to it, unless you are going to use it as a pretty little cabinet.
 
It's a pretty cool unit, no matter how you look at it. The inside is in great shape, all the insulation is clean and in tact, or so it appears. Once we get looking at it more it may be that it is rotted behind the insulation. When I get it home I will post more pictures and more info on it. But I agree the right hand side can be used for storage and electric may be the safest way to go. Either way it is a cool piece of history and will make a nice cabinet of some sort, lol... Thanks for the info and your time!!!
 
Where you able to get an idea of manufacturing date? I wonder just how old it really is. My aunt and uncle were very simple living people, they loved living in the woods without the everyday things, like running water and electricity. I can't imagine it was new or even close to new when they acquired it, so it could be very old. I'm excited to get it home and really check it out but it will still be a week or better before we are able to go get it. I'll be sure to update pictures then. Again thank you for the info and the chat!!!
 
Not a great picture but my aunt got it all cleaned out and found this face plate inside. Quintinp, I thought you'd get a kick out of this and know you were dead on about the era and all. I'm "hoping" to pick it up this weekend but it's going to take a small crew of strong men to get it here safely. I'll be sure to post more pics once it arrives!!! How cool it this thing? LOL, I love it but still agree electric is going to be our best bet and I can add turners that way too.
 

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