This is my first post, but I have been reading and learning from many of the other people on this forum for a few weeks. I decided to build my own incubator. Most of the ideas came from tweaking what others had already done.
Here's the ugly, old styrofoam box I used. I put in two windows using scrap glass. It is 24"L x 18"W x 15"H, and 1" thick.
This view shows the layout of the inside. There is some 1/2" hardware cloth separating it into two compartments. The left side is where the eggs will be placed. It has 1/4" hardware cloth sitting on top of small plastic "deli" containers. There can be filled with water, one by one, if humidity needs to be increased.
I plan on putting them into a carton, and then tilting the carton at 45 degrees, alternately sides 3-4 times/day. That should make turning the eggs very quick. There is room to put in three dozen eggs quite easily. It is 16" x 15"
The right-side compartment contains the light bulb for heat, the fan and a blue pan for water. It is 16" x7".
A different angle. The fan is an electric ceramic heater set to "fan only". This is one area where I had trouble finding a small fan with moderate air flow. I had this old heater sitting around and realized that the fan is a very low airflow type. It seems to work perfectly. The box stays evenly heated and it's not creating a whirlwind in there.
I used a dimmer switch to control the wattage on the light bulb. I'm using a 25 watt bulb that is barely lit with the dimmer set very low. The ceramic base of the light bulb holder is screwed through the stryofoam box, into a small piece of wood on the back to firmly hold it in place. The helps eliminate any concerns of a fire hazard. To the top of the piece of wood, I mounting the dimmer switch, which is wired into the electrical cord before going to the wall outlet. This way, I can adjust temperature without opening the box.
This setup is ideal for a basement or other place where there is little night to day temperature fluctuation.
By increasing or covering the airholes in the box, and by filling or emptying the water containers, I've found that I can get both the temperature and humidity very precise. I've had it running for awhile and tested it with a water weasel. So far it's perfect. Now, I need to get some eggs and I'll be all set.
My total cost for this project: Zero!. I had everything sitting around the house. Old beat-up styro, scrap glass, old fan. Even if you had to buy most of this, I doubt it would cost more than $20.00. A similar design to what others have posted on this forum, but a little different.
Here's the ugly, old styrofoam box I used. I put in two windows using scrap glass. It is 24"L x 18"W x 15"H, and 1" thick.
This view shows the layout of the inside. There is some 1/2" hardware cloth separating it into two compartments. The left side is where the eggs will be placed. It has 1/4" hardware cloth sitting on top of small plastic "deli" containers. There can be filled with water, one by one, if humidity needs to be increased.
I plan on putting them into a carton, and then tilting the carton at 45 degrees, alternately sides 3-4 times/day. That should make turning the eggs very quick. There is room to put in three dozen eggs quite easily. It is 16" x 15"
The right-side compartment contains the light bulb for heat, the fan and a blue pan for water. It is 16" x7".
A different angle. The fan is an electric ceramic heater set to "fan only". This is one area where I had trouble finding a small fan with moderate air flow. I had this old heater sitting around and realized that the fan is a very low airflow type. It seems to work perfectly. The box stays evenly heated and it's not creating a whirlwind in there.
I used a dimmer switch to control the wattage on the light bulb. I'm using a 25 watt bulb that is barely lit with the dimmer set very low. The ceramic base of the light bulb holder is screwed through the stryofoam box, into a small piece of wood on the back to firmly hold it in place. The helps eliminate any concerns of a fire hazard. To the top of the piece of wood, I mounting the dimmer switch, which is wired into the electrical cord before going to the wall outlet. This way, I can adjust temperature without opening the box.
This setup is ideal for a basement or other place where there is little night to day temperature fluctuation.
By increasing or covering the airholes in the box, and by filling or emptying the water containers, I've found that I can get both the temperature and humidity very precise. I've had it running for awhile and tested it with a water weasel. So far it's perfect. Now, I need to get some eggs and I'll be all set.
My total cost for this project: Zero!. I had everything sitting around the house. Old beat-up styro, scrap glass, old fan. Even if you had to buy most of this, I doubt it would cost more than $20.00. A similar design to what others have posted on this forum, but a little different.
