Can I use an automatic egg turner in a homemade incubator?

[Chicka T]

I was looking at building an easy Styrofoam incubator---( I don't have much building know how, but was hoping there will be some youtube videos) Wondering if I could put an egg turner in it (was thinking of the Little Giant one). Or do the egg turners only work with the incubator their built for?

 

[Quail Jailer]

You can put a turner in a homemade incubator. as far as any particular model I cannot say as I just do not know what will fit/work.

However if you're not doing a vast quantity I would just make some "tip cartons"
when its time to turn you just tip it over to its other side.

If needed I can try to make a video,

I just take a roll of duct tape, a regular egg carton and 4 cotton balls.

cut away the carton top, cut the back top corner off of the "lid" this will form an angle,

center this on bottom of carton and duct tape. cut the 4 cotton balls into 3 pieces each,

(cotton balls are cylindrical- you want to make 3 wafers) put these in the bottom of the carton for the

egg to rest on. it facilitates the tip over. Put in eggs and let er fly!

 

[Ridgerunner]

The only automatic egg turner I'm familiar with is the one for the Hovabator 1588. It would work fine if it will fit. I store hatching eggs in it on a dresser top outside the incubator.

I don't have any experience with the Little Giant, but looking at the photo, it should work fine for you.

 

[Chicka T]

You can put a turner in a homemade incubator. as far as any particular model I cannot say as I just do not know what will fit/work.

However if you're not doing a vast quantity I would just make some "tip cartons"
when its time to turn you just tip it over to its other side.

If needed I can try to make a video,

I just take a roll of duct tape, a regular egg carton and 4 cotton balls.

cut away the carton top, cut the back top corner off of the "lid" this will form an angle,

center this on bottom of carton and duct tape. cut the 4 cotton balls into 3 pieces each,

(cotton balls are cylindrical- you want to make 3 wafers) put these in the bottom of the carton for the

egg to rest on. it facilitates the tip over. Put in eggs and let er fly!

This could def. work for me, but I am a visual person, so if you could do pics or a video, that would be great!!

The only automatic egg turner I'm familiar with is the one for the Hovabator 1588. It would work fine if it will fit. I store hatching eggs in it on a dresser top outside the incubator.

I don't have any experience with the Little Giant, but looking at the photo, it should work fine for you.

Is the one for the hovabator a universal egg turner, or do you need to buy the quail rails separately?

 

[Quail Jailer]

Sure, but can it wait until this evening? I need to go care for the birds and go to work... You might want to send me a PM to remind me.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm pretty sure the quail eggs rails are separate. I just do chickens and occasionally turkeys.

You can do an advanced search in the incubation section on "homemade egg turner". You have to filter through the hits but there are some pretty ingenious people on this forum. You might find something that suits you, all the way from a motorized turner to nothing more than setting an egg carton on a pivot and attaching a rod to one end that sticks out of a hole so you can turn by hand.

 

[ohiorooboy]

Hey jailer
I love your "tip carton" idea. I made 1 small change, I took a coat hanger wire hooked it to
Egg carton and poked it out the side of the bator. Now I can rock it back and forth without
Opening the lid.

 

[Quail Jailer]

I originally had that idea as well, but I found it limited my options about adding more or changing the configuration. Still a great idea for some folks.

 

[Chicka T]

Sure, but can it wait until this evening? I need to go care for the birds and go to work... You might want to send me a PM to remind me.

No problem. Thanks!

 

[Quail Jailer]

No problem. Thanks!

Houston we have a problem, I don't have an egg carton to build new retro rockets from "Dam it Jim! I'm a doctor not a mechanic"

Oh got carried away there, really i do not have a carton, I'll get one and make something for you to look at ASAP.