So... I want to make a Crock Pot Incubator...

[yakitori]

...exactly what the title says..
Using a water bed and a thermostat on/off controller inside a manual crock pot, I want to mimic what this youtuber girl did with a rice cooker.
I'm not entirely sure that I want to go through with it yet, since I'm not a huge fan of wanting to experiment with living things.

That said, if anyone else wants to try... please let me know how it goes!

I should sleep earlier, I have the craziest impulses at 2am

If I ever try it out, I'll update this thread

 

[cavemanrich]

You should check to see if the Inkbird controller will operate at the 100°F range. I don't know of aquariums needing such high temperatures.
I have read of peeps using an Electric skillet, and a slightly different controller than what you posted, and incubated chicks successfully.

I personally would avoid the waterbed version.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[yakitori]

You should check to see if the Inkbird controller will operate at the 100°F range. I don't know of aquariums needing such high temperatures.
I have read of peeps using an Electric skillet, and a slightly different controller than what you posted, and incubated chicks successfully.
View attachment 2732556
I personally would avoid the waterbed version.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Yep, goes up to 100C for hard boiled eggs
Is there any reason you would be against the water bed? The specific heat capacity of water is great and will hold the temperature much better than just dry atmospheric air. Also I think it’s closer to mimicking the body of a broody against the eggs
Probably wont be as much of a humidity loss either...

Honestly, I’m not quite sure I know what I’m talking about...Just late night thoughts and ramblings from an insomniac, lol.

 

[cavemanrich]

Yep, goes up to 100C for hard boiled eggs

The crockpot, yes, will heat up hot.
I was talking about the controller range.
I could not view specs of it.
Were you considering a water bath incubation, or having water in a plastic bag and a waterbed similarity.? If in a water-bath , I think the chicks would drown.
A waterbed, you still would need a wet sponge to provide humidity to prevent shrink-wrapped chicks.
You also need to consider the need to turn eggs for the incubation period.

 

[yakitori]

The crockpot, yes, will heat up hot.
I was talking about the controller range.
I could not view specs of it.
Were you considering a water bath incubation, or having water in a plastic bag and a waterbed similarity.? If in a water-bath , I think the chicks would drown.
A waterbed, you still would need a wet sponge to provide humidity to prevent shrink-wrapped chicks.
You also need to consider the need to turn eggs for the incubation period.

Yep, the controller goes up to 100C, haha. I’m not sure why an aquarium controller needs such a range, but hey, I guess I could use it for sou vide too.

Water bed, definitely not bath, I’m thinking it will essentially functioning as a “heating mat” with a lot of mass and hence minimum temp fluctuations. The set up is exposed to outside air and not lidded. So humidity should not be too much of an issue.

I would have to test the parameters long before I try to set eggs in it of-course... I’ll probably get started on some eggless testing tomorrow

Finally my eyelids are growing heavy - yay!

Thank you for entertaining my crazy 3am ideas

 

[yakitori]

Testing...
Controller is accurate, atleast to my bonavita kettle. lol
will cross check again with a forehead thermometer when I get it.

 

[yakitori]

Decided to switch to Celcius as the controller is able to trigger at a difference of 0.1C, whereas F is limited to 1F. put in 3 cheap store bought eggs for no reason other than to make it seem more realistic. Temperature does seem to fluctuate within the degree...
but from what I read, temp fluctuations in any incubator can be fairly normal.

 

[cavemanrich]

Now you need to stop by Trader Joe's and purchase some fertile eggs. I know not all store have the fertile ones.
You will most-likely hatch out white leghorns out of white eggs, and possibly production red's out of the brown eggs. And give it a test drive.

 

[yakitori]

Now you need to stop by Trader Joe's and purchase some fertile eggs. I know not all store have the fertile ones.
You will most-likely hatch out white leghorns out of white eggs, and possibly production red's out of the brown eggs. And give it a test drive.

My broody is raising a couple of delaware chicks, so I was thinking of getting some bantams. I really want one or two more to keep my lonely bantam mommy company

 

[yakitori]

Going to get some bantam eggs this weekend!