Problem with home made incubator

[ikoCRO]

Why are you using your own incubator? Why don’t you have a normal professional one?
If your eggs survive at all, there is also the very high risk that the chicks that do make it to the hatching stage could be deformed, have curly toe or other defects and deficiencies. Since it sounds like you don’t have a clue what you are doing even with a regular factory made or commercial incubator, why bother??? Lol
The eggs wont mature properly and the ones that do will be few and possibly with problems. Are you wasting your time here???!

When the price of a professional incubator is like two monthly salaries in Croatia, then you have to make it yourself.
Or not raising chickens at all!

 

[Davethebirdman]

When the price of a professional incubator is like two monthly salaries in Croatia, then you have to make it yourself.
Or not raising chickens at all!

Buy live chicks.
Don’t make a homemade incubator.
The eggs that do hatch, if they hatch with problems will have to be destroyed anyway. You’re wasting your time.

 

[ikoCRO]

Buy live chicks.
Don’t make a homemade incubator.
The eggs that do hatch, if they hatch with problems will have to be destroyed anyway. You’re wasting your time.

Realy smart advice

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Buy live chicks.
Don’t make a homemade incubator.
The eggs that do hatch, if they hatch with problems will have to be destroyed anyway. You’re wasting your time.

Rather rude. They're trying to learn and fix what isn't working


Op, it may have been mentioned, but the temperature should be 37.5C, not 37.8C.

I'd add more ventilation too. I don't know much about wood for an incubator, but my Styrofoam one needed quite a bit of ventilation to keep everything working.

Is there anyway for the incubator to cool off. So it doesn't get too hot too easily?

 

[jher77]

Buy live chicks.
Don’t make a homemade incubator.
The eggs that do hatch, if they hatch with problems will have to be destroyed anyway. You’re wasting your time.

I made my own incubator and have good hatches with healthy chicks. I like mine and wouldn't trade it for a commercial one. I wasted my time first by learning how one works instead of later by seeing mine fail.

 

[jher77]

@ikoCRO What are the dimensions of the incubator?

Looks like you have five 1/2" holes on each side. Is that correct?

 

[Tonyroo]

Why are you using your own incubator? Why don’t you have a normal professional one?
If your eggs survive at all, there is also the very high risk that the chicks that do make it to the hatching stage could be deformed, have curly toe or other defects and deficiencies. Since it sounds like you don’t have a clue what you are doing even with a regular factory made or commercial incubator, why bother??? Lol
The eggs wont mature properly and the ones that do will be few and possibly with problems. Are you wasting your time here???!

Why are you criticizing him he's here to learn and improve what he's working on. If anything, you should be respectful. Not everyone has money in the bank to do what you suggested. And everyone has there own struggles and backgrounds. If you don’t have a helpful comment just say nothing.

 

[Davethebirdman]

I made my own incubator and have good hatches with healthy chicks. I like mine and wouldn't trade it for a commercial one. I wasted my time first by learning how one works instead of later by seeing mine fail.

That’s great! Many people I’ve known who have made their own haven’t had as much luck, especially like this gentleman who is a beginner.

Why are you criticizing him he's here to learn and improve what he's working on. If anything, you should be respectful. Not everyone has money in the bank to do what you suggested. And everyone has there own struggles and backgrounds. If you don’t have a helpful comment just say nothing.

he liked my advice. Read it.

 

[Davethebirdman]

@ikoCRO What are the dimensions of the incubator?

Looks like you have five 1/2" holes on each side. Is that correct?

Sounds like you know what you’re doing!
Smart!

 

[Tonyroo]

These are older pictures, in which there is a simple turner. In the last picture there is a metal turner which is now in the incubator.
This cheap white thermostat is just overheat protection, for temperature and humidity regulation, I use STC 2000.
At the top of the incubator is a spiral heater, which is placed around a plexiglass window.
Since it is obvious that the unevenly distributed temperature is the cause of the problem, I suspect the plexiglass window and the eggs underneath it?
Probably those eggs are colder than the eggs underneath the heater?
I’ve made incubators before and I have experience in that, I’ve never had problems like these.
Now I put 90 new eggs again, I turned off the fan, I covered that window, in about 20 days I will see the results.

That's a very big incubator if it can fit 90 eggs. Having that much air space requires heating on both sides with a fan in the top middle section of the incubator. This will help with heat transfer and maintaining balance within the whole container. Remember, when heat travels, the temperature starts to drop. It's more significant in a larger container. Incubating eggs require constant even heat. If you ever redesign the incubator try placing your heat on the bottom area or close to the bottom, heat naturally rises so this give you better accuracy for heat dispersion.