I am considering building a cabinet bator - Feedback helpful!

[flood]

Hey all, I am trying to decide between buying and building. If I build, what options are most important?...that sort of thing. I like the Dickey 2x2 but would rather spend less. I like my LG still air..so thought about just getting a couple more or the hoovabator (sp?)

But.....I think I might go ahead and build this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-homemade-incubator

It was built by Jeff Miller. There are a few posts from him back in 2010. Has anyone copied this that you know? I like that it has space for hatching as well.

What is your favorite thing about *your* incubator? It doesn't matter what kind...I just want to make sure I consider parts, accessories, and options before I sink time and money into a build. I could be better off just buying.


Thanks everyone!

Lorie

 

[fried green eggs]

The best thing about my two home-made incubators is they work Great! One is just a large igloo cooler that I use as my setter for day 1-18 and the other was a shipping box that is now my hatcher. I get close to 95-100% hatch rate on my home-grown eggs. I love being able to do staggered hatches.

There are only a few parts for a incubator to work:
1) Spend the money and buy a wafer thermostat or a digital thermostat.
2)Heat source: light bulbs, incubator heating element or even a crock pot heating element
3) Fan
4)Calabrated thermometer & hygrometer
5)Heat-sinks
6) Well to fill to raise humidity
7) Vents
Optional - Auto Egg Turner

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had built a bigger incubator,and hatched out these chicks in feb:


but I wanted something smaller, so I built this one:




8''x9'' with 15 w light, holds heat 100' just fine.here is the inside view:
We are now on day 18

 

[gimmie birdies]

The bowl is not for water it is for fire safety.

 

[flood]

Wow, can't believe you are doing so well with those! That is great! I built one from a igloo cooler w/ lightbulb and it didn't work well enough,...you all have cardboard boxes lol! Fall outta my chair! Doesn't the room temp have to stay fairly constant with them? My hatch rates were 30% with homemade. Got over 80% with LG. I plan on hatching more expensive eggs someday.

I would love a separate bater/hatcher. I want to start new sets every couple of weeks a few times a year and then I do ducks too and they take longer. Would love to hatch goose but the LG is too small/short. Dh and the neighbor are talking quail....

Thanks for sharing!

 

[flood]

What are heat-sinks? The bottles/jars of water?

 

[gimmie birdies]

if the box is too big it gets cold spots.

 

[fried green eggs]

Wow, can't believe you are doing so well with those! That is great! I built one from a igloo cooler w/ lightbulb and it didn't work well enough,...you all have cardboard boxes lol! Fall outta my chair! Doesn't the room temp have to stay fairly constant with them? My hatch rates were 30% with homemade. Got over 80% with LG. I plan on hatching more expensive eggs someday.

I would love a separate bater/hatcher. I want to start new sets every couple of weeks a few times a year and then I do ducks too and they take longer. Would love to hatch goose but the LG is too small/short. Dh and the neighbor are talking quail....

Thanks for sharing!

What kind of thermostat did you use with your home-made bator? I have two 40 watt bulbs and two small computer fans in my igloo. One fan runs all the time and the light bulbs and other fan are controlled by the thermostat.

What are heat-sinks? The bottles/jars of water?

Yes. I just use jars of water with lids on them. I have read that some use sterilized rocks. lol anything that will help so, the temp will stay stable. I use the Dry Hatch method and run my humidity between 20 - 35% for the first 18 days. I run my hatcher about 50-55% until I see the first pip then I quickly get the humidty up to 65-70% and walk away. Some will say the humidty should be higher but, this has been working great for me. I have eggs hatching now that I didn't candle until I put them in the hatcher a couple days ago. My Am roosters been doing a good job. lol

 

[fried green eggs]

I had built a bigger incubator,and hatched out these chicks in feb:


but I wanted something smaller, so I built this one:




8''x9'' with 15 w light, holds heat 100' just fine.here is the inside view:
We are now on day 18

Wow thats great! Do you keep it in a closet or small room?

 

[gimmie birdies]

living room 70's bator at 100'