Homemade Incuabtors???

[txhomegrown]

My attempt at a home made bator was a total flop. I went really cheapo trying to use stuff I had laying around. That would have been great if I would have had the right stuff laying around, but I didn't. I found a nice deal on a new LG with egg turner for 55 bucks. It will work for now. I have had it running for a few days, and it is holding steady temp and humidity. I am supposed to go pick up some Marans eggs this week. The guy has some nice birds that he shows. He has black, blue, splash and cuckoo eggs. All feather legged. I want some of all of them.
I have one of those small fridges and I am going to use that for my next home made job. I am gathering what I need to do it right this time.

 

[smchickfarm]

I have a homemade bator. A friend of my mom's made it years ago for his science class at school. Made out of wood. Top is glass and side, so full very. very well made. Holds temp/humidity well.

Have hatched 3 sets, since last year. Just had a 100% hatch in it this past weekend, 7 out of 7!

 

[Farmer 2]

I have just made a bator out of an old bar fridge it has semi auto turn holds temp great with a digital thermostate running two 40 watt globes and a humidity dial it's fan forced i could run over a hundred eggs in it it cost me $70 to make i now have chooks eggs in it been in there for 8 days.

 

[paddock36]

Mine has and does work great. I get hatches as good as store bought incubators and I hand turn my eggs.

 

[happyhensny]

Quote:
paddock36 - proof is in the pictures. Sweet baby, can't wait till ours hatch on the 12th.

 

[al6517]

When I decided to build my own incubator I knew I was going to hatch every year, so building an incubator from a box or a cooler that looks like a 2nd grade science project was out of the question. So I built this one, you can see the entire build with details on my BYC page, it won the BYC bator contest in 2009. It works great and I think it looks good too. I have made some minor upgrades since then like adding a wafer thermostat and 4 more turners.

AL

 

[happyhensny]

al6517 - I am actually going to start building and incubator based on the pics you have provided. A friend has a vanity that has 2 doors with three drawers on the right. Separate hatching breeds in weach drawer and turners in the door part. Can't wait to get started ! I may try to use a heating element from a sportsman though. Are you having good luck with the light bulbs? What wattage are you using?

ETA: What are the cabinets dimensions so I can decide if your bulb strength will work with the cabinet I am getting?

 

[MjChickens]

I found mine on craigslist and it works way better then my LG's ever did. Love it. Good luck with yours.

 

[gumbii]

i made one with a mini fridge... spent 100 bucks making it, holds 60 bantam eggs, or 40 std eggs and turns them... uses two 40w bulbs, three fans, a small dish for humidity, and i only open it to candle them or take out the racks for lock down... holds humidity and temps great...

it would've been 50 bucks if i didn't have to buy a digital temp controller, but my room fluctuates way too much for a water heater t-stat or anything cheap like that...but worth every penny... my room gets super cold at night... like 50°F or so... in the summer, i'm going to have problems though... maybe i'll leave it outside..?

 

[quintinp]

mine is way better than my lg, and that aint sayin much, but it stays a constant temp all the time no fluctuation at all