Making your own hatcher?? Help please !!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9732

This is a link to a thread about how to make a homemade incubator. The hatcher would be the same thing but the fan is not a necessity.

If you use the search function on the top of the pages there are lots of threads where people have made their own incubators or hatchers. I think I may have been the first to post. The photos for my post are no longer in my photobucket album.

Basically, you just need a styrofoam box, Ice Chests are good. You will need a light socket. I have used ones that are available at the hobby store that have several small sockets so you can get more even heat. The cord has several sockets for the candelabra type bulb. I use two 25 watt bulbs. You poke holes in the foam and put the socket in the holes. I stuff quilt batting around it to make it more air tight. You need to buy some wire for the bottom and You can fold about a 1" lip so it is off the floor. I use a very shallow pan or bowl for the water and I put it under the wire floor. You can get a table lamp dimmer at lowes. The light cord goes into the dimmer and it allows you to dim the light to keep the temperature at around 100-101 degrees. With a hygrometer/thermometer you have all you need. I am posting a photo so you can see what I am talking about the lights are hard to see but they show in the top and bottom side of the box. I also cut a whole in the top and used duct tape to attach a piece of plexiglass also available at the hobby store. You also need to provide ventilation holes around the bottom of the box and I always put one or two in top as well

My little box is very simple and it work fine as a hatcher. Others have made very nice incubators with fans and turners using much the same basic idea. Like I mentioned you will find many variations and adaptations using the Search function. Good Luck. I would be happy to answer anyother questions. You might want to PM me if as these threads get lost quickly. The box in the photo is a worm box I got for free from Walmart. The live worms are shipped in it. I used some shelf liner to cover the sharp ends of the cut wire.

Good Luck

 

If you the best go with the best, MissPrissy's would be the one. Go to the users index and type in MissPrissy, click on the name and at the bottom you will see my incubator.
Follow the plan there and you will have a bator as good as any you can buy.