Homemade Cooler/Fridge-a-Bator Hatcher Instructions/Diagram

[speckledhen]

You're too funny, Cher. That little dorm fridge is the best bator I own. It's bulky, but performs perfectly. The only issue is that it is too small, the way I have it turned, to hold a turner. It's a spectacular hatcher.

 

[walkswithdog]

Cyn, I'm still tweaking this one, wait til you see the pics - you'll die laughing. I want to fix one shelf, that is too small, but I LOVE it as a hatcher and I don't mind hand turning.

(As often as I stagger hatches it makes more sense anyway. Bad me.)

I've got it running really well and never really worry about temps. And they hatch like clockwork. So it must be going properly.

The wine cooler one is also fun and makes a wonderful small batch interim brooder, however, given it's footprint I might just look for a slightly BIGGER one that sits on the same foot print. I know I can find a non-working larger wine cooler...

Oh my God it never ends...

 

[digitalsniper]

im just curious if anyone has specific plans on a turner? I kind of got the Jist of the one picture i saw, it looked like it just rocked 20 or 30 degrees from side to side. Is that correct? dont have to physically flip them? And if so, then just rock it to the left for half a day and back to the right for the other half?
Thanks for any replies... Im AMAZED at this thread and the wheels are already turning in my mind on how, when and where im building this awsome incubator.
Thanks again in advance and im so glad i found you guys (by the way, im New here lol)

David

 

[wlrcad]

Does Anybody Want A Free Rooster????
P&s

 

[speckledhen]

No, you dont flip the eggs. They just tilt from side to side with the air cell end up. And welcome to BYC, David!

wlrcad, you may want to put that rooster in Buy/Sell/Trade.

 

[walkswithdog]

Cyn's MINI-FRIDGE plans ROCKKKKKK.

I love my Darthbator (black mini-fridge).

 

[tadkerson]

I use a heat lamp in my home made cabinet incubator. I put the heat lamp over two gallons of water. The water absorbs the heat and slowly releases the heat to the air. This makes the temperature very stable. Varies about .5 degrees. Some of the heat from the lamp goes into the air. I also have two incandescent lights that are on all the time (140 watts.). I use a wafer thermostat with another wafer thermostat wired into the circuit as a back up.

The idea of using a aquarium heater or two or three in a large volume of water would work. This would keep a very stable temperature because the water does not change like the air temperature. Water can also hold a large amount of heat energy. You could use a wafer thermostat on a 100 watt light bulb as a co-heater or back up.

My next incubator will be a refrigerator/ freezer (side by side) and freezer combination. I will be able to hatch hundreds of eggs in that combination.

Tim

 

[speckledhen]

Tim, you should post pics of your bator somewhere here.

 

[tadkerson]

Here ya are.

This is the upper compartment.

Lower compartment. I have some guinea eggs in there now. And some chicken eggs down in the basket.

Tim

 

[speckledhen]

Wow, thanks for the pictures, Tim! That looks awesome! Have you had alot of hatches in it? Are the bulbs 140 watts total or each? How does the humidity do for you with that setup?