New Homemade Incubator Test Run Starts Today 3/16

[CountryPantry]

We have been working on this incubator for the past 6 months, ironing out all the little wrinkles!

We are ready to do a test hatch in Pinkie now. She is 4 foot high and 2 foot wide. Has 3 shelves, two heat sources, one black heat bulb and one 100 watt light bulb. We are using a Reptile Thermostat in it and it seems to be doing well. Has been holding temp 99 to 100 for a week now. The door window is a double pane....one on the outside and one on the inside. I will be putting the automatic turner in with eggs today to do a trial test.

 

[PeckingOrder]

Best of luck, made my own incubator also, started on the 4th.

 

[jettgirl24]

Awesome! I'm test hatching in my homemade right now too - set mine on the 13th

Sounds like you're using the reptitemp thermostat? So am I and I LOVE it so far. Mine has kept temps perfectly steady so far... Not even fluctuating .1 degrees right now (knock on wood)! My only complaint on mine right now is that I need to come up with a better rack system because I usually have to fiddle with the thermostat to get it back to perfect when I open the door to turn. I'm trying to figure out how to build a rack system that I can turn from outside of the bator before I set my big egg order at the end of April.

 

[CountryPantry]

I am putting one of my turners in it to turn the eggs because I have one not in use. Putting duck eggs in a hovabator with no turner. I hope it works ok, i am in the process of making a hatching drawer for it to put on the third shelf,

 

[jettgirl24]

Very cool, your bator is quite a bit bigger than mine - I don't think I have room for an autoturner but I've been hunting for one that would fit. I've got room for about 4 dozen eggs on two shelves - though it would be kind of a tight fit once the babies start popping out if it were filled to capacity. I'm planning on doig about 2 dozen at a time - plenty for me right now. If I decide to go bigger I will definitely go homemade again though. It was a fun project and so far it's holding temps like a champ!

 

[CountryPantry]

Turner in, 42 eggs set

, now we will see what happens!

 

[broodytood]

This is my incubator made from a mini fridge, which I then gutted the refrigeration system out of it. I cut a hole in the door and inserted double pane glass for viewing(trimmed it out to cover the sharp edges). It has a Retitemp 500r, still air fan in ceiling, desk fan on bottom and a light kit for heat(60watt). I pulled my egg turner out of my LG and put that in there. I drilled holes for ventilation and for inserting a tube to wet the sponges for humidity. I had to make a deflector to disperse the heat around the light bulb. Helps keep the levels at the same temp.
I set eggs on the 25th of Feb. so they went into lockdown yesterday.
I'm really happy with Reptitemp so far! I think I can get 2-3 more turners in there for a total of 164 eggs possible. I move the eggs to a separate hatcher so that I can keep incubating batches at different start times.
When I started, I was clueless. I just read the BYC homemade incubator contest results and away I went. Great ideas and info!
In total, I think I spent $160.00.
Hoping my hatch starts soon and goes well! I'll let y'all know how it goes!

 

[CountryPantry]

I was looking for an old mini frig or a wine cooler that was broke, but I couldn't locate one after looking for almost a year. We decided to just make one about the same size out of the foam insulation. We are happy with it so far, been easy to regulate and I can also place 3 turners in it, only have two right now. Keep us posted on your hatch.

 

[goatranch]

NICE JOB!!! I just found a heat source for my broken Red Bull fridge. We are using a waterbed heater. I set my first batch of eggs on March 14. What is your humidity at? Mine has been 45-50% at 100 degrees. It will be following to see what your hatch rate is. Mine will hold 84 eggs. That is pretty dangerous for a hatchaholic!!!

Best of luck on your hatch!!!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Awesome ideas!!