cardboard box incubator?

[wilsonab]

Hi, Im a student so i have a really low budget so im looking to make my own incubator out of a cardboard box lol Would this actually work? Do i just need to provide a source of heat and keep at correct temp? Ive never done anything like this before, im a novice lol

 

[MigraineMan]

Necro-thread resurrection ...

We hadn't planned on incubating, but our broody hens dropped the ball, so to speak. So we decided to build one from a cardboard box. (Yes, I probably could have driven to Tractor Supply and purchased the $50 Little Giant, but raising the chicks is largely a lesson for my kids, and this is the perfect opportunity to "adapt and overcome.") With the $9 water heater thermostat regulating temperatures pretty well, we noticed that humidity wouldn't get above 25%.

It became obvious that the cardboard was dry and porous, and was doing a wonderful job of grabbing moisture and transporting it to the outside environment. Since we were already in-process, pulling the system apart and painting the interior wasn't really an option. But wrapping the outside in clear packing tape certainly was ... and seems to be working great.

 

[MigraineMan]

Update - the thermostat failed on Day 21, which was "a bad thing." We scrambled to get an auxiliary heat source in place and tuned properly. Managed to get it stable at about 99F. One of the eggs started leaking a black ooze ... also "a bad thing." We culled that one and another that clearly hadn't progressed when we candled it. The oozy one "popped" when we tossed it on the compost pile.

So, moving on to better news - Day 23: we had our first "pip." Later that evening (we were out for the day) we discovered a fuzzbutt bumbling about the incubator. We pulled the small bucket-broder back into service, and the fuzzbutt was alternating between exploring and faceplant-naps. It survived the night, and seems to be doing well. Definitely "a good thing."