DIY CABINET COOLER INCUBATOR How we did it and TEST RUN Ready Set GO!

[buzsaw58]

Hey Sally, with your experience. Can you help me with turning an old magic chef wine cooler into an incubater. I think it will be ideal, it has a glass door on it, and it's not too big. Can you or will you give me some ideas.

Greg

 

[Steadfast]

WOW. Now that sound cool and fun!
Post a picture of that wine cooler

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I brought my 1st batch of "random chicken eggs" home from the Sumner Byrd Farm.

They are now SET.
Day1

They are mostly random bantams.
3 are Japanese bantams.
A few top hats and jersey giants.

And so the training begins.

LOCAL EGGS! Awesome!!! DRIVER IN TRAINING!!! whoot whoot!! do you have air cell end up? for some reason I cant enlarge that photo! Its one of the basic things people make a mistake on at first. So I have to ask!

Hey Sally, with your experience. Can you help me with turning an old magic chef wine cooler into an incubater. I think it will be ideal, it has a glass door on it, and it's not too big. Can you or will you give me some ideas.

Greg

Hey Greg!

I ran into a few of them, I think I only saved two links, not sure how well they work as I havent read the pages for a long time, but I will share the two I have in my bookmarks, someone on the hatchalong thread was making one, but for the life of me I cant remember who!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/838822/making-a-wine-cooler-incubator
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/wine-cooler-incubator-winner-of-the-2009-diy-incubator-contest

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Just an FYI...
My hughsnet has been sporadic of late, not sure what the problem is, but I do know I am paying a fortune for something thats not being provided!

Today was day 17 of 63 of the 70 eggs set for the Easter HAL,
I candled and moved them all into a coolerbator for hatching because I needed to set for orders in the cabinet.

My pulls were the 6 CCLxPolish still not fertile, and one brahma bloodring pulled at some point. I am very happy that all the brahma were fertile and going strong, praying the fermented feed is doing its deed in helping with a healthy flock!)



Remaining in the cabinet cooler are my HRIR eggs, some Ducks



And all these (TEAL) coloring.... went into the cabinet coolerbator after the others went out..... and its almost two full trays, note my serama rig lol






YES I DO HAVE TWO COOLERS JUST WAITING FOR ME TO BUILD THEM, its too nice outside to mess with them! ha ha ha

 

[sonderah]

Just an FYI... My hughsnet has been sporadic of late, not sure what the problem is, but I do know I am paying a fortune for something thats not being provided! Today was day 17 of 63 of the 70 eggs set for the Easter HAL, I candled and moved them all into a coolerbator for hatching because I needed to set for orders in the cabinet. My pulls were the 6 CCLxPolish still not fertile, and one brahma bloodring pulled at some point. I am very happy that all the brahma were fertile and going strong, praying the fermented feed is doing its deed in helping with a healthy flock!) Remaining in the cabinet cooler are my HRIR eggs, some Ducks And all these (TEAL) coloring.... went into the cabinet coolerbator after the others went out..... and its almost two full trays, note my serama rig lol YES I DO HAVE TWO COOLERS JUST WAITING FOR ME TO BUILD THEM, its too nice outside to mess with them! ha ha ha

My HughesNet is ALWAYS sporadic!! I hate it! But, its the price I guess I pay to be able to live in the middle of BFE!! Lol My bf's mom has 2 styrofoam coolers, the kind that meats are delivered to her house in, that my bf wants me to get & use to make 2 big coolerbators, instead of paying $70 for the Coleman. I know those coolers seal AMAZINGLY! My concern is, won't they build bacteria bad? Maybe if I don't hatch in them. I'm using styrofoam incys now, & my main point was to be able to hatch bigger batches, but my 2nd was to get away from the styrofoam. I'm at odds! Any advice peoples?

 

[ozexpat]

My HughesNet is ALWAYS sporadic!! I hate it! But, its the price I guess I pay to be able to live in the middle of BFE!! Lol

My bf's mom has 2 styrofoam coolers, the kind that meats are delivered to her house in, that my bf wants me to get & use to make 2 big coolerbators, instead of paying $70 for the Coleman. I know those coolers seal AMAZINGLY! My concern is, won't they build bacteria bad? Maybe if I don't hatch in them. I'm using styrofoam incys now, & my main point was to be able to hatch bigger batches, but my 2nd was to get away from the styrofoam. I'm at odds! Any advice peoples?

you can always paint them woth several coats of water based gloss house paint to seal them

 

[DJC62]

Sally, took a picture this evening after dark with the incubator lights on. Also took one of the heat, fans (one fan, has another on the other end as well as an additional heat element) and the turning motor.

Added another 163 eggs this evening - 48 White Leghorn, 25 Welsummer, 10 Americana, 39 Cuckoo Maran, 14 Black Copper Maran and 27 Heritage Rhode Island Red eggs in the incubator. Due date 5/4/2014. This in addition to the 111 from last week.
Total at the moment 274 and it's still pretty much empty. Bummer.... Going to have to raise more hens!

 

[sonderah]

you can always paint them woth several coats of water based gloss house paint to seal them

Was going to ask, won't the paint hurt them, but I guess the plastic ones r painted aren't they. Hmmmm

 

[dheltzel]

Deal alert!
Sally's find on fans was a great price, but there is special deal on 4 case fans for $10 starting today at 6 PM PDT (9 PM EDT) at newegg.com. I buy all my computer components from this company, and they have special deals all the time (sort of a clearance I guess).

They didn't specify the model in the email I got, but I suspect it's this one. The fans are slightly smaller, but are rated for higher air flow and also considerably quieter than the ones Sally found on ebay. Not to take away from Sally's find, but if you are collecting supplies for your own, you can save a few bucks and get fans that are quiet (maybe a big deal to some people like me).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103052

To actually get the deal, you visit their main page during the right time window (replaced by the next deal at midnight PDT) and find the "shell shocker" deal. Click that and you can order. Free shipping on these deals too, of course.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Sally, took a picture this evening after dark with the incubator lights on. Also took one of the heat, fans (one fan, has another on the other end as well as an additional heat element) and the turning motor.

Added another 163 eggs this evening - 48 White Leghorn, 25 Welsummer, 10 Americana, 39 Cuckoo Maran, 14 Black Copper Maran and 27 Heritage Rhode Island Red eggs in the incubator. Due date 5/4/2014. This in addition to the 111 from last week.
Total at the moment 274 and it's still pretty much empty. Bummer.... Going to have to raise more hens!

So awesome for you to share even your incubation notes! what do you think is up with the inferts? and you have leghorn and T a&Ms on one line? not sure whats infert

I think we will go with that auger system at some point as well! So awesome because I can see how you did your entire turner! Thanks tons and tons for sharing this baby! LOVE LOVE IT!