PLEASE HELP HOW do i make my own Home Made egg incubator

[MashedPotatos]

I was wondering how much and how to make make an incubator it doesnt have to real big i would just like to incubate like 6 eggs at a time? Please help.

 

[Life is Good!]

If you use the search box above, put in 'homemade incubator', you'll find a lot of great information and posts on how to do it, what works, what didn't, why, etc.

Good luck!

 

[bachbach1]

If you want to do it on the cheap, you can get a submersable fish tank heater, ($5 to $10 on ebay) and drop in down into a 1 quart glass jar filled with water. Use the built in thermostat to regulate the temperature. Cut a hole in the jar lid and open it up to increase the humidity. Throw it all into a small ice chest, and it works like a charm. Those heaters are made to be submerged, so dont let that freak you out. I have used them for years, to heat chemicals, and water. Cutting a small opening to insert a clear window, so you can watch without opening it up is a good idea. It is so so cheap, regulates the temp, supplies the humidity, and is simple. It is the slickest on the cheap setup you can use. You can spend a lot more money and do worse. If you have any questions, let me know and I will try to help. Many years ago I designed incubator electrical systems, so I have been around the block a few times.

 

[BlackAce]

I'm not sure if you found any plans or came up with any ideas. I built my own incubator and cost less then $20. I used a styrofoam cooler from Walmart less than $1.50 and two clamp style lights one for the incubator and one for the brooder. I bought a picture frame and used that for the window and it works great. I originally had a hard time controlling the temperature. I picked up a dimmer switch and cut about an inch and a half off the top of the cooler and flip the top cover over. That brought the light closer to the eggs and stabilized the temperature. If the dimmer switch wasn't $10 it would only cost about $10 for the whole thing. It can hold about 15 - 20 eggs

 

[MashedPotatos]

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Kyzmette]

BlackAce, that's beautiful. Do you have any problems keeping your humidity where it needs to be?

 

[BlackAce]

Thank you! Lol

Not really I use regular dish sponges and cut them in half and keep them in the corners. I wet them once a day and the humidity is right about 70%. The only problem I have is with the temperature. I have some fluctuations. It's because the styrofoam is thin and porous. If I do it again I'm gonna look for a thicker cooler. One that Omaha steaks come in is nice and thick and would regulate the temp better. I still have good results regardless. Oh, one thing I did was cut about an inch and a half off the top and inverted the lid to bring the bulb closer. That gave me better results and a more constant temp. I only fluctuation a degree or two but I'm always watching the temp. Using thicker styrofoam I wouldn't have that issue.

But I'm still happy with it regardless.

 

[Kyzmette]

Oh hey, that give me an idea... what about if you used a larger cooler or box and used a sheet of foam insulation to line the interior?

 

[BlackAce]

Sure I don't see why not. There are a lot of people here with homemade incubators.

Right now I have 13 RIR eggs in there. I have about 7 that look good but it's only been a few days. I'm hoping to have more than that lol but they are shipped eggs so we will see