Homemade hatcher or homemade incubator? Advice please...

[FenDruadin]

I am so inspired by all the folks making homemade incubators on here. I want a second incubator for hatching, and I want to do it as economically as possible. I'm worried that if I make something cheap--like with a disposable styrofoam cooler, light bulb, etc.--that it won't be as reliable as my hovabator. But I know people do hatch reliably in cheap homemade incubators so...

I'm wondering. What I have right now is a Hovabator with circulating air and automatic turner. So I was thinking I would make a hatcher with still air and no turner. But does it make sense to "cheap out" on the last five days--or would it make more sense to incubate the eggs in a cheap homemade incubator, and then hatch them in the hovabator? I know the hatch itself is often the most critically important part of the incubation, and I would hate to get my eggs nicely along and then have them die in the shells because I went cheap on my hatcher.

Or should I just knuckle down and cough up some bucks for a better-made incubator? Or am I wrong in assuming that an incubator made with cheap parts won't work as well?

Thanks!

 

[RAREROO]

Hi
Contact Jeff Cannedy at <[email protected]> He also custom builds incubators and hatchers he could give you advice on what to do and how to do it. You can also go to his page under DJQuaileggs for info and pics of some that he has built. I bought my hatcher from him and he's a great guy to work with.

 

[phoenixbantam]

Wow, funny. I have been thinking about the same thing, and I have the same incubator as you- hovabator with fan and turner. I am thinking about either making a cheapie hatcher or trying to find a used still-air incubator on craigslist or something. i am going to experiment with various things i already have around the house and see if i can get a stable temperature in a styrofoam cooler or something...