Incubating with a slow cooker...

[MommyMagpie]

I read about a BYCer who used an electric skillet to make an incubator, and I wondered if it would be worth a try to make an incubator from a slow cooker. I have never incubated eggs before so feel free to point and laugh at my craziness! I thought I'd put the idea out here to see what brainstorming results.

 

[galanie]

Put a thermometer in there and see what the temperature is. If it stays around 100 w/out varying too much, you might have hatched an idea!

 

[jcatblum]

Even on low a crockpot would be way too hot IMO

Crockpots only have 2 temp settings & a warm setting. Unless your warm is 100 you would be cooking your eggs.

 

[Edwards' East of Eden]

... but you could cut the wire and splice in a WHT on long wires, and make it work. Or, you could put it on a rheostat, maybe. Or, you know, both - which would probably be safer.

 

[Animalian]

give it to some electronics students and see if they can tweak it to go lower!

I wish incubators were cheaper... or that my hens had a broodiness 'on/off' switch

 

[MommyMagpie]

Even though, after looking up the temp settings in my slow cooker recipe book, I will still do a test with my cooker that has a removable crock. I plan to tie up some sand in a pantyhose, stick in a probe thermometer and set this on a heatsafe dish upturned in the cooker.....set it to low and see what happens.

if this is not workable, we are going to build a bator from one of the many plans here on BYC. We have everything but a thrmostat to make one from a styrofoam cooler, and enough wood to build one like that too.

Why yes, I do think I am addicted to chickens, why do you ask?

 

[Edwards' East of Eden]

Quote:
Oh, honey. You're here. We all just assumed you were addicted to chickens.

 

[MommyMagpie]

I had a roast in when I started this thread, but I have cleaned up from that and begun the experiment. I took a pantyhose leg and stuffed it with bulgur wheat to make a place to stick my probe thermometer, and set this on a folded washcloth in the pot and turned it on low. I will check it when I get home from my second job later this evening and see what's up.

IF I can get the temp right my next step will be to get a hygrometer from the pet store and see if I can regulate humidity to the proper levels.

 

[AZBootsie]

Most original brainstorm I have seen in a very long time. I hope it works!!!

 

[ki4got]

I might suggest if it's too hot sitting right on the bottom, try elevating off the bottom with a roasting rack or one of those wire racks (like you cool cookies on) or somesuch... the ceramic is going to get a lot hotter with direct contact than it might raised up a bit... (raise up what you put inside the pot, don't raise the pot off the heating part)

now if we could just get the chickies to eat these danged stink bugs...