DIY Incubator Adventure

[Kafen]

Given how difficult it has been to find baby chicks, I decided that I wanted to try my hand at incubating eggs! It’ll be good for me to be able to do since I want to raise a new batch of chicks every year to be more self sufficient. But I don’t have an incubator and can’t shell out for the one I’d like at the moment. I do however have an old cooler and a broken lamp. I figured that was enough to get me started. Add a fan from an old computer we have downstairs (hubby hoards electronic parts looooong after they’ve broken and it’s come in useful now!) and a water heater thermostat (I’d like to use a wafer, but sourcing one was difficult) and we should be good to go right? Well we’ll see how the build and subsequent incubation goes!



Here’s my inspiration/research for this type:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/authors/quintinp.70328/



First day:

• Cut and tape in viewing window
• Drill ventilation holes
• Drill and install light socket
• Wire light and thermostat (we didn’t use a different wire for this, but split one of the wires from the lamp so that it ran through the thermostat instead)
• Plug in an let sit overnight

After being on all night, it is only sitting around 77F (our house is 70F). The light spends most of its time off. Clearly that’s not even close to enough. I’ll try increasing the thermostat first (even though it’s set to ~100F right now). We still need to install the fan and I wanted to add some heat sinks too. It has a 60W bulb in it right now and I could always get a 100W instead. But I feel like that was pretty good for the first day! More updates to follow.

 

[Kafen]

Okay so day two is looking good! Got everything pretty much down with only minor tweaking and adjustments left. Eggs are being dropped off early tomorrow morning from a local lady and I know they’re nice and fresh. I’ve heard so many negative things about shipped eggs on here, so I didn’t want to go that route.



Here’s what we did today:

• Wire and install fan (this is making it cycle quite quick, already such an improvement in the still air version)
• Fiddle with the thermostat 10,000x
• Wash and sanitize rocks for a heat sink in the bottom

By the way, if you can’t cut up a block for the fan, you can still make it run. We did end up making it permanent, but just wanted to share this!

I have a shelf liner on top of the rocks at the bottom for the little chicks. I saw in a different post with someone that put water in the bottom of their cooler for lockdown and I thought I could try that too. You can add water through the drain hole so I won’t have to open the lid to maintain humidity.



We just need a hygrometer, but I’m not so concerned for the first little bit. We should get one tomorrow and the relative humidity here is about 35%. I’m so excited!

 

[Ghosty]

Best of luck! I just built a blue cooler bator too! My first hatch as well. I'm on day 8, just candled yesterday. I bought a controller for the fan, but it never arrived? The fan is only 15 cfm so I don't think it matters. I just wired up an ac adapter. Here is my hatch thread and a few pics of the build. I didn't add a viewing window.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/first-hatch-with-diy-cooler-bator.1360930/#post-22435588
I have a pan under the wire tray to add water at lock down with a catheter syringe and tube running through the drain hole.

 

[Kafen]

Best of luck! I just built a blue cooler bator too! My first hatch as well. I'm on day 8, just candled yesterday. I bought a controller for the fan, but it never arrived? The fan is only 15 cfm so I don't think it matters. I just wired up an ac adapter. Here is my hatch thread and a few pics of the build. I didn't add a viewing window.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/first-hatch-with-diy-cooler-bator.1360930/#post-22435588
I have a pan under the wire tray to add water at lock down with a catheter syringe and tube running through the drain hole.

That looks great! I just checked out your thread and I really hope mine goes as well. I'll be following along with yours! I don't know if I could do without a viewing window though, I'm practically glued to it, even though nothing is happening. I'm sure it'll get old, but not today haha

 

[Kafen]

Day three of my coolerbater adventure and the eggs have arrived! Things were holding steady so I felt pretty confident. I candled them quick to make sure there weren't any cracks I couldn't see, numbered, marked the sides and set them in. It took a little bit for it to come back up to temperature and it's been a bit touchy. The only thermometer I have at the moment needs to be pushed on every time so I have to open the lid to do it. It's quick to do, but I don't like it. I'm getting a different one that will be on all the time.

Just turned them for the second time today and it’s holding steady in the center at 99.5F. I’m watching it like a hawk though! I guess it’s a good thing that I’m home all the time now...

 

[Ghosty]

How far along are you? Any candling from week one?

 

[careeka22]

Good luck! I did something similar last year, had some great hatches and some not so great but I didn't use a thermostat so that was a big reason. I finally bought an incubator but since I have my own source of eggs just loaded both! Pics are from a hatch where 15/16 hatched.

 

[Kafen]

How far along are you? Any candling from week one?

I’m on day 6 now so we’ll candle them tomorrow night. Super nervous about this first one, I feel like it’s the moment of truth!

 

[Kafen]

Good luck! I did something similar last year, had some great hatches and some not so great but I didn't use a thermostat so that was a big reason. I finally bought an incubator but since I have my own source of eggs just loaded both! Pics are from a hatch where 15/16 hatched.

Wow! I’m so impressed, that is such a great hatch rate! I can’t imagine doing this without a thermostat, my temperatures would be all over the place. I’m still not sure I trust it though haha

 

[careeka22]

Wow! I’m so impressed, that is such a great hatch rate! I can’t imagine doing this without a thermostat, my temperatures would be all over the place. I’m still not sure I trust it though haha

Thanks! Others were only 50% so not all good but I found out how much external temps affected it and also egg quality. I had to play with many lights to find the right one.