How do I make a home made Incubator?

[Goober1201]

Hi, I was wondering if I could make a home made bator? I have no clue how to candle and i check my eggs every day and I put a light under it and i see nothing so it goes in the ice box. But when I break them open to eat they have that white dot in the yolk so does that mean it was fertile? I only have ONE hen that lays at the moment. The others are still young. Please let me know. I also have two roos and the one just started to crow... it was the cutest thing ever!! Its like a little boy hitting puberty..hahahaha

 

[Judy]

Here is a page of links to home made bator desigbs, from our learning center:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-chicken-egg-incubator-designs-pictures

And here is how to tell whether the egg you broke open was fertile, from a sticky in Incubating and Hatching Eggs:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

There is also a lot of discussion of candling there. You won't see any development the day after they were laid, and fertile eggs will not develop unless they are incubated.

 

[Goober1201]

Thanks so much, I'm going to those threads right now. Hope I can make something. I just don't have the money to buy one.

 

[cluck-cluck]

It will still cost a little. Here is what I had to pay rounded up to nearest dollar:

styrofoam cooler from Wallmart - $7
small lightbulb thing from Home Depot - $4 (socket with plug- used small socket)
hardware cloth Home Depot - $8 (smallest roll, but can use the rest on other projects)
lower electrical water heater thermostat - $9
computer fan from Fry's - $4
Thermostat with Hygrometer from ebay - $5
Used telephone charger (or electrical plug 5v vs 12v) free
glass from a shelving unit that I don't use free (can also use glass from a picture frame)

Total = $37

Unless you are like me and had to make it 'cause it's fun, I highly suggest getting a used one on ebay LOL. You'll have more room for more eggs and it'll probably work better! Remember to run it a few days to get to know how it heats up and cools in your house so you know how much to adjust it (unless it's really automatic and quick to respond)

I think I've seen very nice ones on Craigs List for about the same price ($40) So it's not necessarily cheaper to build it yourself!

Good luck!!!

P.S. mine was made in the style of this one:

only I used the more square'd cooler and added a fan (hung down from the top, as that's where the warm air is!) and a water heater thermostat to regulate it (I put it right on the bulb for quicker reaction, just turn the temp up on it) I also put my water under the bulb to have more room. I'm able to put in and turn (with a pc. of PVC pipe propping up one side) a cut out egg crate that I've removed one row of 3 from to make it shorter. I can incubate 15 eggs in this thing. That's it ;P

I used a small chandelier type socket with a 40 watt bulb which would heat the box up to 120 degrees + if I didn't have the thermostat.

 

[Goober1201]

Thanks for all the info.. IT WAS GREAT!!