Homemade Incubators

[PD-Riverman]

What is the ideal temperature range for incubating and hatching? I'm firing this puppy up now! lol What humidity is too high during incubation?



Thank you for all your input!

CK

What kind of "Puppy" you got. Still air around 101 reading at the top of the eggs----forced air around 99.5 is good.
I do not want my humidity to be over 40% during the incubation---until lock down then I like it above 70%.

 

[ChicksAre4Kids]

Thanks, I appreciate all the help.

CK

 

[PD-Riverman]

I don't know what I did Wrong, I Made a new Incubator, Same Way as my Other, But Bigger. Over 30 Eggs and Only 2 developing, and not because theyre not being bred, I watch it happen alot. The Temp either keeps Soaring or Dropping. How Do I Fix It?

I do not know what or how your incubator is built but If you will post more info and some pics----I will be glad to try and help.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I don't have a Thermostat, I don't know where to get one, I also don't know how to set one up.

Some people use this one from lowes https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-Water-Heater-Thermostat/3693208 some order a better one off E-bay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-STC...278040?hash=item35f9fb88d8:g:h34AAOSwJcZWcQSj or similar. You just cut one wire going to the light bulb and hook then to one of these. Adjust----- The digital will go outside---you have to cut a hole for it to fit in. the hot water one goes inside.

 

[LLranch]

I use a dimmer to maintain temp instead of a thermostat

It is very difficult to have a successful hatch controlling the heat with a dimmer switch. Because the dimmer switch is not capable of as you say maintaining the temp it takes a human constantly adjusting the dimmer switch day and night to maintain the temperature. Every time you open the incubator to turn eggs or add water the incubator will cool down and you will have to turn the dimmer up to get the heat back to 99.5 degrees then as it reaches 99.5 you'll have to turn it back down to level it off. On top of that you will constantly need to make small changes to account for Ambien temperature changes in the room. It's definitely possible if you don't have to go to work or or need much sleep.

 

[quailmale]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-incubator.html

 

[mochicken]

Wow good link

 

[Orange Ribbon]

I started a post here the other day about the hatcher I'm working on and it got moved. Anyway, here is a picture of it. The left side has record shelves which I plan to make trays for and use as a hatcher. The right side is big enough to hold a couple LG egg turners. I am focusing on left side hatcher first hoping to put my quail eggs over into it next week. I have a hole in back with a computer fan pulling in fresh air. I am using a small ceramic heater with a water heater thermostat attached to the front of it with a bracket. So far it is doing okay, cutting on and off within 1.3 degrees. Going to try to get it within .5 degrees by moving the thermostat closer to the heater. It is about 1/5 inch away from it now.

Next month I hope to get a digital thermostat from Incubator Warehouse, but if I get this set up working just right I may not worry with it.

 

[mochicken]

Very cool, I am thinking of doing something for a hatcher because I am constantly starting eggs at different times so that leaves me in limbo trying to turn eggs without disturbing the other eggs or letting humidity out.

Ideally I would like to have a turner in my incubator that allowed me to take half of the egg trays off but this one doesnt for some reason so I have to totally remove the turner and place all the eggs on the floor of the incubator then reach in really quick a couple times a day to roll the eggs that are not ready to hatch, maybe I will just make a hatcher out of a styrofoam cooler or something

 

[rittert3]

I've got a half finnished cooler bator sitting storage. Right now it's just a styrofoam shipping cooler with a window in the top and a hwc floor 2" from the bottom (there was a perfect little lip there). I've got a few other things that go with it eventually but I still need to get a water heater thermostat and a lamp kit.ETA: love your hatcher Orange ribbon