Ummm...yeah... We decided to build an incubator

[gmc]

This cooler is only 12x14x12 inches. It was the only styro foam cooler that walmart had at the time. All the components are in the bottom. I have the same set up as rooster red illustrated, just arranged a bit differently. I set 19 eggs....

 

[Poison Ivy]

I also used one of the $2 coolers from walmart, But I used a dimmer cord and a 25w bulb in mine.

 

[GracefulBantams]

Wow! Thanks for all the great pictures and information

 

[gmc]

Quote:
I've been looking for a hatcher solution, this may be it. I would assume the bulb stays on all the time? What's been your experience with it so far? The idea sounds appealing with the wide temp. swings you get with a hot water thermostat.

 

[Poison Ivy]

Mine held perfect temps of 100* once I found the half way mark on the dimmer switch. I then marked it with a pencil incase it was moved. I still use it as a hatcher sometimes. I like it a lot more then the one I made with the hot water element in it. I couldn't get the temps to stay steady. It would go as high as 106* then down to 95* so I gave up on it. I copied JimNJay's instructions from the one they built. I pm'd you too with the link.

 

[jimnjay]

Since the Omaha Steak Box, I have made several more. One from a Worm Box that DH brought home from Walmart in the Spring when they started to carry Fishing Worms.

I also used a box my DIL brought home from the Hospital that medicine is shipped in.

Omaha Steak boxes are the best. The foam is almost 2 inches think and it holds temps very well. I have never been able to find the dimmer that I use again. It was just great. Just a cord with a recepticle in the end and it fits into a regular plug in the wall. No wireing at all. There is a slide that controls the intensity of the light bulb used. I use 25 watts and it only takes about half that. On the last one I used a string of lights. You can buy it at the hobby shops. I used 3, 15 watt lights bulbs,one each in three sides of the box. I place the lights it on the top 1/3 of the box. You still have to back them off to keep it cool enough. I struggled with the water heater thermostat and it did not work. The box may be to small but it is not sensative enough and allows the temp to climb to high before cutting off then it gets to cold before kicking back on.

These work very well for hatchers. They are ok for incubation if you don't anticipate much change in the temperature of the room you have it in. I found that 21 days was a lot to manage when you have to keep track of themperatures for that long.

 

[Poison Ivy]

I found my dimmer cord at walmart last year. I ran me about $6 for it.

 

[rooster-red]

My water heater thermostat has worked perfectly, but seeing all these replies about them having wide temp swings makes me wonder if I just got lucky.

It was a real pain to dial in, took an 8 hour period to get it right, but it has worked flawlessly since then.

 

[gmc]

Thanks Jimnjay & Ivy for offering up the extra detail on the dimmer bator!

 

[GracefulBantams]

Yeah, thanks for all the great information