Input on homemade incubator PLEEEASE

[fantastic4]

Progress report:
Wired HWH thermostat to 2 bulb light fixture. Wired pc fans x2. Made lid of 3/4 inch plywood and single pane glass for viewing. insulated the bottom with spay insulation from outside and 1 inch styrofoam on inside of bottom.

Heres the predicament.... Styrofoam inside on walls will really cut down on room i have. depth isn't an issue. I don't really want to build enclosure so I can spray insulate from outside....IDK Ideas??

Has anyone ever considered vermiculite or small river rock on bottom in a layer to hold heat so when it is opened it will get back to temp a little better? If a hen gets off eggs for 20 mins to eat and sets again they are going to warm back up quickly. I am thinking it could take like 3 hours for bator to get back to temp. being stable. I know internal temp is what matters but you are still loosing heat if bater isn't temp of eggs even if it is slight. Stones just seemes like a good idea plus for a temp power outage or something the stones would radiate heat for a while. IDEAS? or at least cons? I am talking layer of foam, layer of stone w/ water pan or whatever somewhere in that layer, then hardware cloth, then turner. During lockdown it is my intention to build a riser for wire. It was brought to my attention that it is possible the 1 inch or so drop from turner to floor can cause temp difference.

LAST.......
Light cant shine on eggs, fans don't blow on eggs, thermostat needs to be where? Can someone help me with placement of everything?

 

[quintinp]

You could always use rocks, or baby food jars filled with water/sand. Some people use water bottles. I think what you were speaking of was a heat sink. I don't use one, but many people do.

By the way, if you go to YouTube, type in "Homemade Incubator Build Follow Up, Thermostat Modification" The first results should be by Rush Lane Poultry, and it is a video about modifying the water heater thermostat by drilling holes into thermostat to make it more sensitive to changes in Temperature.

By the way, could you note the placement of the thermostat in relation to the bulb. (how far away is the thermostat from the bulb)

I always tell everyone to do this, even when they have the modification done to the thermostat, "Move the thermostat where the metal side of the thermostat is facing the light bulb, and is within 1 1/2 inches from the bulb."

I have a cooler incubator, and have done this to my thermostat.

Here's a link to my page about my cooler incubator.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-chick-factory-incubator

 

[OKChickadee]

I love the sink and 1/2" plexiglass lid. I just recently kicked 5 LGs to the curb. I do have a home built model, but mine is a plywood box insulated w/styrofoam. I have a little bigger fan, it's an old small exhaust fan with a heating element across it. Controlled by heat wafers. It works great until a wafer goes out. All in all, I have a high hatch rate with this incubator. However, this last time it went down, I broke down and got a GQF. Best investment I've ever made. I hatched 95% this first time around. I am turning my old cabinet into a hatcher.

 

[quintinp]

I love the sink and 1/2" plexiglass lid. I just recently kicked 5 LGs to the curb. I do have a home built model, but mine is a plywood box insulated w/styrofoam. I have a little bigger fan, it's an old small exhaust fan with a heating element across it. Controlled by heat wafers. It works great until a wafer goes out. All in all, I have a high hatch rate with this incubator. However, this last time it went down, I broke down and got a GQF. Best investment I've ever made. I hatched 95% this first time around. I am turning my old cabinet into a hatcher.

I know what ya mean, those LG's kick your butt. "Little Giant incubators, and Fertile eggs don't mix." I now just use my 2 homemade incubators, my cabinet incubator and my cooler hatcher. I have an old metal galvanized incubator (Brower 846, and still works WAY better than a new Little Giant.)

 

[bairo]

On my cooler bators, I have lined the sides and bottom with 4x4 ceramic tile (glued in with heavy duty construction adhesive) I then also put standard red bricks in the bottom. My hardware cloth is on top of these bricks. Not only do the bricks act as a really good heat sink, they also absorb water readily and release it slowly. I can open the lid to candle for 10 minutes if I needed (its usually 3 minutes though) and the temp is back up within 3 minutes or less.
Observing a broody hen...I have found she is off the nest for an average of 5-10 minutes.
I consistently get 90% hatch rates and 100% survival after hatch.

Caution...... You need to let the new glued tiles sit for a week to make certain that the glue is completely done off-gassing.

"Quintinp"
gives good advice with the thermostat as well. Even with the holes drilled in it, get it closer to the bulb. Mine is about 2 inches, but that is the max I would go. I think between 1.5 and 2 inches is good. If you get too close then it will cycle too fast and not be on long enough to heat the area up. I already had to put in another bulb on its own switch and I use this ONLY to do the initial heat up. I plan to modify that so I can also use it as a candling bulb also

Your dif in temp depending on height of eggs only applies when not using a fan to circulate. They are called thermoclines and the fan takes care of that. That is why you wont catch anyone that has done more than one hatch using a non fan model, LOL.
As far as light shining.... I do have a small piece of metal below the bulb but I would not worry about it too much. If you can get a little 6x6 piece of metal and bend down an inch along one side to screw it into the sink below the bulb..then that is fine...if not, dont worry too much about it. My fans are at the top pointed straight across instead of hitting the eggs directly which would have a drying effect on them.

 

[fantastic4]

Nice on the thermostat hint! Im gonna try it out. (on a side note how does he find anything in there?) Thanks for all your help!!!!!!! Ill try bricks (I have those) LOL Im new at this and the LG killed 55 eggs on my first try. My kids (ALL 4 BOYS) were crushed when the overheard me say they were fully developed in there! Im determined to get this right or my kids will be damaged LOL

 

[OKChickadee]

Nice on the thermostat hint! Im gonna try it out. (on a side note how does he find anything in there?) Thanks for all your help!!!!!!! Ill try bricks (I have those) LOL Im new at this and the LG killed 55 eggs on my first try. My kids (ALL 4 BOYS) were crushed when the overheard me say they were fully developed in there! Im determined to get this right or my kids will be damaged LOL

I thought there was some fate written that I would not be allowed to hatch eggs until I built my first cabinet. I think my son is who is not 14, was damaged by waiting for chicks that never hatched! I honestly can't recall EVER in my life (and I've been at this since I was a kid) hatching any eggs from an LG. And eratic temperature has always been the culprit. I know our Co-Op sells replacement control boards for them for about $20. But I don't know if the newer ones are any more reliable.

 

[fantastic4]

Mine was brand new!

 

[mohillbilly]

i have an LG hat was gave to me after it killed 3 hatches, I ran it for a week and recorded its highs and lows it would jump to108 degrees at night when most people sleep , stay that way for a couple hours then go back to the correct temp...I would never recommend one to anyone.

 

[quintinp]

i have an LG hat was gave to me after it killed 3 hatches, I ran it for a week and recorded its highs and lows it would jump to108 degrees at night when most people sleep , stay that way for a couple hours then go back to the correct temp...I would never recommend one to anyone.

X2!