newbie need help making first incubator

[chick-anmoma]

I know that there are many post that cover this subject!!! but my head spinning



I have all the parts needed to make an incubator except

Egg turner - electric - and this is where it get tricky for me

how to make the rotisserie work as a turner and the wiring instructions for fans, light and thermostat

1. A Box
2. A light that produces heat ex: 25 Watt bulb
3. A fan to circulate heat have fan blowing over heat source (got 2 computer fans)
4. A worm wiggle (planning on using a gel ice pack . . of course not frozen)
5. A water source - any container will do ex..frozen dinner tray
6. A thermostat - picked up on from Lowe's (hot water tank thermostat)
7. A rack - anything to raise the trays away from bottom and water source
8. tubing to add water as needed
9. A few holes in opposite site for fresh air to circulate
10. A tray to hold the eggs
11. plexy glass
12. A divider to keep light off eggs


So for the only things I have had to but is the plexy glass, thermometer, hygrometer and thermostat.

Any and All advice or direction is greatly appreciated

 

[bahamabanty]

I would get a good cooler instead of a cartboard box. I used a cheap styrofoam incubator
but it was VERY hard to keep the temperature steady, I woke up plenty mornings where the temperature was way off from what I had left it that night. My second hatch I will use an old coleman cooler from a yard sale or something, something with better insulation. I would really want a nice brinsea but I dont have the money, once I order it and bring it in, with duty and customs it will cost twice as much for the cheapest brinsea.

Also a cheap dimmer switch helps to control the temperature (your light bulb). I used a 25 w bulb and had to turn it wayyyy down to get to 99-100 degrees. I had the bator on for a few days, before I started, and fiddled with it, I marked my best settings on the dimmer.
My next hatch I would probably pre-set it with some cheap supermarket (unfertile) eggs, because as soon as I put my fertile eggs in the bator, the temperature changed and it took a while to get it back.

I also added clean rocks in a ziplock back on the bottom of the bator as a heat sink, it will retain heat in case of a power outage for a while. Some people use closed jars of water. I didnt because I didnt have the space.

You can attach your computer fan to an old cell phone charger, super easy. Plug in the charger and your fan is spinning.

 

[chick-anmoma]

Thanks for the advice

I also need to know how to hook up the rotisserie to "turn" the eggs

 

[bahamabanty]

I dont know how to do that, I turned them by hand