Purchase an Incubator OR Build an Incubator?

[gg706]

I really want to incubate some eggs. I have been checking out incubators and they are expensive! I am considering building a cooler incubator. Have you had decent results with your homemade incubator? If I bought an incubator I was considering the Brinsea mini advanced, anyone have experience either good or bad with the mini. I don't need to incubate alot of eggs a few at a time would work fine. I also saw a post that some recommended an icu kit from incubator warehouse for a homemade bator. Anyone have results from the lightbulb set up compared to the icu kit? I will be shipping in eggs if that makes any diffrence. What are the chances my Wyandotte would go broody this spring and I could just give the eggs to her...she will be 1 year old this spring. How do you time having the eggs shipped in and getting your hen to go broody?

 

[Pancholoco]

Look on CL. Sometimes there are some for sale.

 

[sumi]

Sally Sunshine had a very good hatch in her coolerbator. She did an article with instructions on how to build one: Cooler Bator 101

 

[gg706]

Thank You both for the info I will check it out!

 

[tadpole98]

i attempted that once, but it failed. (i tripped on it so i guess it wasnt its fault lol)
but, i would try the cooler bator first, and if it doesnt work the first time, figure out why then fix it and try it again! if you keep getting bad results then i would go ahead and buy one.

 

[gg706]

I think that is what I am going to do...I already have a cooler that the roller handle is broken off and would very difficult to carry full of food. So I think it will become the new "Bator Experiment". I am going to order the small kit from Incubator Warehouse to make it easier to keep the temps regulated. ??? I am going to give a shot at hatching out some eggs from my current flock first. At least I would know how the eggs had been handled, how fresh they were, and that they ARE in fact fertilized. If the bator performs well then order expensive breeder eggs.

 

[sumi]