How Can I Make A Homemade Incubator?

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello! I have two incubators and have hatched a decent amount of birds now, but ever since learning that I could make an incubator myself I’ve wanted to try it! Does anyone know how/ have experience doing this? Results? Any ideas, tips, advice?

 

[nuthatched]

There's an incubator section in the article eoth lots of instructions on incubators.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/incubators-brooders.27/

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Thanks so much!

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello again everyone! I have a more specific question this time…how can I make an incubator out of a glass aquarium tank, or something else that’s similar? What is everyone’s experience with making any kind of homemade incubator, and what tips or advice would you have for someone doing it for the first time?

 

[Tonyroo]

Don't use an aquarium for an incubator it doesn't work.

1/2 inch plywood or
1 inch thick Styrofoam
Having forced air is more reliable at keeping temperature and humidity.

Would do a better job.

 

[Burnt Brass Homestead]

I used Styrofoam to make a homemade incubator with an automatic egg turner. It was a fun project.

Below are links 2 videos with step-by-step instructions (including material, wiring, and configuration) on building an incubator and automatic egg turner.

Incubator (Part 1): Instructions on how to build an incubator using Styrofoam cooler
Egg tuner (Part 2): Instruction on how to build automatic egg turner

Please let me know if anyone decides to use this design to build incubator and/or egg turner

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Wow! Thanks so much for the advice and idea! I would love to try that, and I will let you know if/when I do!

 

[Rose_adamaj]

I used Styrofoam to make a homemade incubator with an automatic egg turner. It was a fun project.

Below are links 2 videos with step-by-step instructions (including material, wiring, and configuration) on building an incubator and automatic egg turner.

Incubator (Part 1): Instructions on how to build an incubator using Styrofoam cooler
Egg tuner (Part 2): Instruction on how to build automatic egg turner

Please let me know if anyone decides to use this design to build incubator and/or egg turner

I love this! We are going away from end of June until early September.
This is now second on my list for my husband when we get back. First is grazing box - unless I can convince him to get that done before we leave

 

[GodofPecking]

a fridge is a good incubator.

first off on size it will godzilla stomp all over anything you can afford to buy.

second it's well insulated. already.

third it's boxy like an incubator with room inside.

fourth it has a very doory door. a door is a great idea. plus, it's included free.

you can chop into the door of a fridge, especially an old one, and add a window. this is cool for looking through at the soft LED lighting in a yellowy color which you need to make it look nice and warm. then you can watch your army on it's way.

sixth, plenty of room to put the fan, which is required to keep temperature stable all over.

seventh, easy to find room for a tray of water.

I been there, done that and more. Lots of incubators. In the end it's all a nonsense. when you are nice to the chooks and feed them well with your kitchen scraps, and your neighbors, and bags of wheat and cracked corn and free ranging, then they do it all themselves. I have three hens now, THREE hens, within arms reach sitting on eggs and one on eggs and chicks. They seem to think that is the best place to raise a family. blasted things. prolific.


you have plenty. stop giving them B-ship food out of a bag marked 'pellets' it's garbage. Start feeding them an assortment of wheat and corn, barley and rolled oats, or just the first two. They will eat what they need. If you get scratch mixes it's hilarious sometimes because they will leave one item behind and not touch it. Like a kid that will not eat purple M&Ms.


chickens are better at raising chickens than you will ever be. You can (or I can) change eggs and move the nests and do whatever I want. is good.

 

[GodofPecking]

fridge door has no pipes or wires most of the time, especially on plain fridges. So chop away. They also have an appliance lead, which I connect to a powerpoint and all the internal electric stuff. works nicely.

easy to get electronic thermostats with LED readouts, they are very cheap. Anything at all that uses electricity can be used as a heater. Generally the wattage is written on the appliance label.