My husband found an incubator

[Sahara]

My husband found an old incubator on some property we bought. It has a tag on it that reads: Favorite Incubator by Leahy Manufacturing Company in Higginsville, MO. The numbers on it read #65-O and 62-E.

I read on the internet that the company is out of business but I am trying to figure out approximately how old this thing is and if I can find a book that may have come with it. Is anyone on this forum familiar with the company or this type incubator?

Guess what, after replacing the cord and cleaning off the interior, it actually works. It is made out of wood. I don't plan on utilizing it for the egg process but I do plan on displaying in my home one day. I just love how it looks.

If you have any information on this company or this type of incubator, please let me know.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I found this:

Leahy Manufacturing Company that has since gone out of business made these redwood incubators. These incubators are approximately 30 plus years old.

 

[Sahara]

Thanks for the update. That is great!

 

[suenrob]

I would love to see pictures of it!!!!!!

 

[Sahara]

My husband has it apart right now due to cleaning but as soon as it is put back together I will post a picture.

 

[MaransGuy]

I have heard some great stories about people cleaning the old wooden units up, updating the wiring (important!) and actually getting really good hatches. The things were designed very well back then and the wood, once reconditioned with humidity, was actually an excellent insulator. The wood also helped maintain the humidity much better than plastic or styro does. I bought an old "super hatcher" from a junkman up in the hills here for $25. I am really anxious to try it out but need to do quite a bit of work to it before it will be safe and functional. They are a great piece of nostalgia though. I also bought a neat old incubator instruction book off e-bay a while back. It had line drawings of everything from indians (never could figure out why they were in there as they were never mentioned), to the General Mercantile - with free public restroom- where the units were manufactured. There were also plenty of pictures of the ladies of the day, complete with ankle-length dresses and collars up to their chins, tending the incubator out in front of the farmhouse. My favorite part is the section on getting your wife interested in raising chickens. It states that "If your wife has the notion of raising chickens in her head then encourage her. If it is not there yet, then make the suggestion and it soon will be there." I suppose women were much more simple in those days and a mere suggestion would be enough to get them going!

Richard

 

[NYREDS]

I have 2 of them. One I use as an incubator, the other as a hatcher.
They work as well as anything you can buy today & look a lot better.

 

[Sahara]

Thanks for the info from both of you! I do believe it would work well. Right now the insulation needs to be replaced but other than that all looks great since my husband has rewired it.