Inexpensive incubators students can build & transporting an incubator?

[SIMZ]

Hello! I'm planning a class for 3rd-5th graders and would like to do candling and incubating with them. The drawback is that we meet for this class only one day a week, and the incubator couldn't stay at that location.

Here are my questions:

Is there a way to make an inexpensive incubator for each child that they can take home with their own hatching eggs?

Would my incubating eggs be damaged if I took the incubator to the class each week so we could candle the developing eggs?


This doesn't necessarily have to be 100% successful, as the focus would be more on chick development than in me trying to figure out where to put more chickens.

At the same time, it would be very disappointing if none of our eggs hatched.

Thanks!

 

[stephanie1992]

Quote:
there is an incubator i bought that has a car adapter with it. it cost 100 bucks but its not very big and is easy to move.

 

[SIMZ]

Thanks for the reply! It kind of makes me chuckle that there is actually an incubator that comes with a car adaptor.

 

[stephanie1992]

haha i know lol i found it on ebay. its simalar to the Retile exo terra incubator. just off brand. had 100% hatches in it. i do dry incubation. i dont add water till the 18th day, i bought a humidity reader to put in it. it was being sold as a dorm fridge. which it prob was made for. but its identical to exo terra reptile bator. WORKS GREAT FOR CHICKEN EGGS!!

heres a link to ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-25L-Dor...07509749?pt=Refrigerators&hash=item43a98eb0f5

heres a link to the reptile bator
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ile-incubators/-/exo-terra-reptile-incubator/

heres a link to the humidity reader i got
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-Digital-...182?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588e727696

 

[SIMZ]

Thank you for all the links!

Does anyone know of a simple, inexpensive incubator that the students could make and take home with them? I've heard of them made from foam coolers - any links?

 

[Shayna]

Quote:
What an awesome idea! That really worked well for you? Did you keep the eggs on shelves and rotate them manually? It held the temp good at about 99.5? I might have to try this....

@SIMZ - I think it's a really cool idea what you're doing, and there are lot of threads out here on homemade incubators, but I haven't tried it. I wish you luck in finding something the kids can do. They would love it!

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
You can find lots right here on the site. Go to the learning link and they are listed there. Very inexpensive. Better buy light bulbs in bulk now though.

The reason for the car adapters I think are for emergencies like power outages. I suggested on just last night to someone. You'd be surprised how often they are needed. I need to get one myself, but if I have the Sportsman filled up there's no way I can fit it into my car. LOL The LGs and the homemades probably, but not that big sucker.

Good luck with your project.

 

[stephanie1992]

Quote:
What an awesome idea! That really worked well for you? Did you keep the eggs on shelves and rotate them manually? It held the temp good at about 99.5? I might have to try this....

@SIMZ - I think it's a really cool idea what you're doing, and there are lot of threads out here on homemade incubators, but I haven't tried it. I wish you luck in finding something the kids can do. They would love it!

it set it to 37C which is about 100 degrees and manually turned them twice a day. then i moved them to an LG bator for hatching and put water in that. i had no water in the fridge looking bator. i love it. no failed hatches! only eggs that didnt hatch were not fertile or got bacteria. these were shipped eggs. all my own eggs all hatched!! i recomend it for everyone!! it even has a light in it!!

 

[fowlsessed]

This should give you some ideas. https://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-incubator.html Hope it helps some.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Could you incubate a number of them at home and only take one or two in for candeling. That way most would stay safe and if something happened when you took a couple to school, you would still have a bunch that were "safe" for candeling later.

Maybe make a small styrofoam incubator for traveling. A small incubator may be easier to travel with than taking all the eggs every time.