DIY Incubator Heat Source

[Old McRonald]

Just wondering what other people are using for heat sources in their diy incubators. I have 2 of them and in both I'm using 2 40 watt appliance bulbs. The good thing is if one burns out it's an easy fix, I always aim the fan at the bulbs to keep the air circulating and prevent hot spots. I have been wondering about the replacement heat plates and switching to those but don't know how reliable they are as well as retaining heat because of the mass and going over temp from residual heat.

 

[springvalley123]

Just wondering what other people are using for heat sources in their diy incubators. I have 2 of them and in both I'm using 2 40 watt appliance bulbs. The good thing is if one burns out it's an easy fix, I always aim the fan at the bulbs to keep the air circulating and prevent hot spots. I have been wondering about the replacement heat plates and switching to those but don't know how reliable they are as well as retaining heat because of the mass and going over temp from residual heat.

If you're referring to the brooder/heaters that are plates that you mount on the supplied legs, I had one fail when using it as a brooder, at the beginning of the second season of use, and they give absolutely NO warning. It was a producer's pride brand.

 

[Phunktacular]

My original that I built, I used a small cheap Wal-Mart space heater. I got it for $2.50 in clearance. It worked amazing. I'll be using that incubator for my new hatching and I'm in process of building a new incubator that I've purchased a couple 110V 100W PTC heaters that I'll mount with a fan blowing through. I'm unsure how much heat will come from them so, I got a 2 pack and I'm going to test with 1 to start. If 1 doesn't provide enough heat, I'll add the second one. I'm pretty sure 1 should be enough, though.

 

[Maiahr]

I had a plate heater, cheap from the Chinese website. That one broke though as I was hanging it on its power cords, so eventually the power cord connection broke and impossible to repair. Then I used a 100w light bulb, hatching no issues. I have learned the bulb to a flat stone/tile type and it actually heats the stone. So after chicks hatch if they are cold they cuddle to the stone. But more often they move to the fan area...

 

[gimmie birdies]

Depends on how big my incubator box is but I have a box I use to incubate with it is 18x18'' and foam lined and it does the job with a 15 watt bulb.......... Today I threw together a small incubator. Currently testing it, using night lights, 7.5 watt, I have 2 in there, if 2 is too much I will turn off one, testing it 24 hrs before the eggs go in.

the bulbs are inside a small foil box, which is in side the white box, in side another box. and then put in a night stand in the guest room.

Hidden so hubby will not spot it...

 

[gimmie birdies]

And these are the eggs going in.
I just put the rooster down a week ago, so I have a limited time to hatch eggs. (up to 3 weeks). I don't know how many eggs will fit in there. I am temped to try and hatch more blue, but the blue egg layer may have not let the rooster mate, plus she was old, the rooster was young, maybe they can meet in the middle.

There is not much room in that box, but we will see. I am also dry hatching. You can read about it. Works good with smaller incubators.

White egg may be Spitzenhauben or BA, big light tan is LO the dark is BCM. I have a diff BCM/AC mix, not sure which is her egg, I think the smooth dark. Also an AC, and a welsummer. The dad was a barred rock, so I think the babies will all be black. The barred gets bred out.