Non-electric incubators???

[Freeholder]

I know, a broody hen, LOL! But I was thinking about it last night, after spending *hours* reading the 57-page thread on home-made incubators, and wondered if anyone had ever built or seen plans for, an incubator that doesn't need electricity? I remember reading that the ancient Egyptians used to hatch out thousands of eggs with wood-fired incubators. And my grandmother told me that one time her mother finished hatching out an egg -- the broody hen had disappeared -- by keeping it in her bra for several days (I can't imagine trying to do that for a whole 21-day incubation period, though, LOL!). I've got several broody hens, and am thinking about building an electric incubator after reading that thread, but was just curious if a non-electric one was even feasible?

Kathleen

 

[Marlinchaser]

The Amish use Kerosene ones, All you need is a heat source, the problem is controlling that heat if you use wood, I would think feeding wood onto the fire and getting the same BTU output would be the problem, with kerosene/propane etc at least the BTU output would be constant, but then you would have to adjust for external temperature change.

I think I will stick with broodies and electricity

 

[CARS]

I discovered 2 kerosene incubators at a farm that was being leveled for farm land. Here are some pics. (if you search I wrote a thread about how I tried to convert it to electric. I couldn't keep the humidity consistent enough for use though)

I think somewhere in that thread is a link that a BYC'er gave that still makes/sells kerosene incubators.

 

[speckledhen]

Hahaha, I hope to have several of those non-electric hen-o-bators this spring!

 

[Overeasyplz]

Wow! I had never heard of a kerosene incubator! Those are museum pieces! Fantastic! I think a solar collector with a battery system would be feaseable! Someone needs to work on this ASAP! Hmmm. my brain wont stop working now. Hmmmm.

 

[CARS]

Found the thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=133431

I did sell the "most complete" one to fund some of my other projects, such as the conversion in the above thread.

I have since swaped everything back to the way it was and put all the modern electronics in a upright commercial cooler with a full glass door. Haven't quite finished it though.

 

[Ariel301]

Wow, that is a neat old incubator! I bet it's worth a lot of money even just as a decoration. I'd love to have something like that!

 

[walkswithdog]

They do make a modern model kerosene incubator. I might try tying in a solar panel to my current cabinet bator. It's a remodeled antique redwood one from the early 1900's. New fan, new thermostat (replaced the wafer) and it rocks. I surely didn't need one that holds 600 eggs but oh well. I got it for 75.00$. I'm wiring in a higher end thermostat when I finish refinishing the exterior and since it runs on my porch, I could wire up a solar panel for it easy. Hmmmm... That should be novel. I love the big thick all redwood ones. Though I still have my homemade Darthbator, made from a mini-fridge, it works too well to let go of it.