Help with my homemade incubator please!

[Jloeffler]

I'm relatively new to chickens but I have greatly enjoyed my 11 babies and decided to try and hatch some of my own as my laying hen has no interest in going broody.
I followed a model someone else made using a ten gallon aquarium, a small desk fan, pencil box, sponges, and thermometer/hygrometer. The example I saw (and I can't find the thread again) didn't use a thermostat. Currently I can't get the inside temp above 85 but I also don't have a glass lid just foil which might be losing heat too fast. Humidity is good - I think - but there seems to be a discrepincy. Some people say 30% another say 65%. Bulb is a 60 watt.
How do I get the temp up and which humidity setting is correct? Do ideally need a thermostat? I have become obsessed with getting this incubator working! Help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[LilyD]

Quote:
I would think if you can get a solid top or something to add insulation to it to hold the heat in better your temp would go up. The correct humidity day 1-18 is anywhere between 20% and 45% you don't want to go higher than that because then the moisture in the egg won't go down enough for the chick to hatch.

Day 18-hatching you want your humidity from 65-80 to help the egg not shrink wrap

I hope this helps.

 

[Jloeffler]

It does help! Thanks.

I was hoping that a more solid lid would do the trick. How necessary is a thermostat? Some people seem to include them while others never mention them. Confusing for a newbie like me!

 

[quintinp]

Pics please, I would be able to see the placement of the thermostat in the incubator

 

[quintinp]

Quote:
Here i will find a couple of videos for you.

and here is the end result, in a fish tank

This should help you with what you are wanting to do. I do 30% the first 18 days and 60% the last 3. I got a 100% hatch rate in my incubator.

 

[Jloeffler]

Thanks for the links. I added a glass lid and it's been running for several hours and holding at 90 still. I'll let it go a little while longer before I decide the fish tank doesn't work!

 

[rebel yell]

A wood box will work a lot better, thats what mine is made of & it holds heat very good, & also go ahead & get your self a wafer thermostat & be done with it, its the best in my openion, its worked a 100 years & will be around a 100 more. Good luck !

 

[Floridachicken1958]

Would be alot cheaper to just get a styrofoam cooler and go for it since you will be well insulated.

 

[Jloeffler]

I am seriously considering styrofoam and a t-stat! Thanks for a type of thermostat to try! I decided to take the hubby's advice and moved the tankbator out of the house and the air-conditioning. Might as well try to take advantage of the heat since here in nc it will be hot for another 2 months or more! I added some vent holes and it has been holding steady at 100 for the last hour. I'll let it run overnight and see what happens. I'll keep checking it every so often. Thanks for all the advice! I live this forum!

even caught the hubby on it earlier checking coop designs! LOL!

 

[Floridachicken1958]

Wafer thermostat to me is the best. I used to use a lower water heater thermostat. With water heater thermostat your temps would give you a wide ranger of temps . It would go from upper 90s to lower 90s which isn't good. Once you set the wafer thermostat after you mess with it to get it to your desired temp, then no ore touching it afterwards. I love mine.