My Basic DIY Incubator

[Stewieb71]

Last night was was the beginning of 12th day for me. Candled my 15. 12 look good; removed 3 clears.
Do you have ventilation holes or just rely on top not being airtight?

It has a few ventilation holes on the back. 2 X half inch holes near the light and circulation fan.

 

[torilovessmiles]

(Day 10) Candled an egg again today. Still couldn't see veins but the air cell appears to be growing. It may be my flashlight, all I could see was the shaded area that is the yolk and the air cell. I don't want to handle the eggs any more though, so I'm leaving them in at this point and hoping for the best until lockdown or one smells bad. Fingers crossed!

 

[kuhnse51]

I've heard of someone using the flashlight app on their phone to candle eggs...maybe you could try that as a double check on the egg if you don't have another flashlight? As long as it isn't really light and see-through at this point I think it means you have something happening!

I candled all of my eggs tonight (beginning of day 4) because, well, I'm impatient lol it seems as though 7/9 have something going on but I'll know better when I candle again on day 7

 

[torilovessmiles]

I've heard of someone using the flashlight app on their phone to candle eggs...maybe you could try that as a double check on the egg if you don't have another flashlight? As long as it isn't really light and see-through at this point I think it means you have something happening!

I candled all of my eggs tonight (beginning of day 4) because, well, I'm impatient lol it seems as though 7/9 have something going on but I'll know better when I candle again on day 7

I think its the color. A couple of my girls lay eggs almost as dark as welsummer eggs, so that's probably why I can't see veins! I'm glad yours are developing! It's cool to see something you made that is so simple to even begin egg development!
Then again, early artificial incubation was done by warming rice or rice husks to incubate duck eggs. This method is still used in parts of Asia, supposedly, and with decent hatch rates! Just, wow! I found that so cool

 

[kuhnse51]

Yeah it's pretty crazy how simple (yet, complex) it can be to hatch, or at least begin the process of hatching eggs. It always amazes me that hens know exactly what to do to hatch eggs when it seems like there are so many variables in trying to artificially hatch eggs!

 

[torilovessmiles]

(Day 11) Okay, okay, I cheated. I'm trying not to candle too much but I grabbed the lightest color egg to candle, and I pretty sure I saw veins. They were faint (probably due to a crappy flashlight) but I saw them! Air cell is also growing! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT!
Now I'm leaving them all alone. haha

 

[kuhnse51]

Yayy that's great news! I'm restraining myself from candling every day even though I want to haha Gonna hold off for day 7, 14 and right before lockdown only! Its tough. The days go by so slowly lol

 

[torilovessmiles]

Yayy that's great news! I'm restraining myself from candling every day even though I want to haha Gonna hold off for day 7, 14 and right before lockdown only! Its tough. The days go by so slowly lol

Yeah, I wasn't candling all of them. I was just concerned because I didn't see veins with the other one but now that 2 have air cells growing and 1 I could see veins, I'm skipping the day 14 candling and waiting until right before lockdown, to throw out any bad ones. I had a couple temperature spikes lately but where I check it constantly, none were over 10 minutes so I'm sure it's be fine. Still makes your heart skip a bit to see it lol
I think I may try to make a more permanent (and larger) incubator with a plastic cooler next. Several people posted some really awesome ones on this thread!

 

[kuhnse51]

Yeah the initial shock when you see a high number is horrible lol I broke down and bought a brinsea incubator to use for the eggs I'm going to buy (I received it with a piece of the plastic broke off but it doesn't seem to affect it) When I have more time I'm going to try to build a big plastic cooler bator I think, so I can hatch more chickens!
>.< Make sure you post after you build yours!

 

[torilovessmiles]

Yeah the initial shock when you see a high number is horrible lol I broke down and bought a brinsea incubator to use for the eggs I'm going to buy (I received it with a piece of the plastic broke off but it doesn't seem to affect it) When I have more time I'm going to try to build a big plastic cooler bator I think, so I can hatch more chickens!
>.< Make sure you post after you build yours!

I think chicken math gets a lot worse when one takes up hatching

Time to build coop #2!