# home made incubator, what do you think?



## Levonsa (Dec 17, 2008)

I was tired of the varied success that I was having with the styrofoam incubators and decided to build my own. It doesn't have auto turning, but I hope that I can be a little more successful with it. I will at least have a tad bit more capacity. I set the first eggs yesterday, and now must get to work on a hatcher. What do you think about it?


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## Lauriebelle (Jul 11, 2002)

That's fantastic!!!!


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

very nice! 

not being critical but I would of insulated it with foam board, looks like you used 3/4" plywood. I used 1/2" ply and any where the foam isnt I can feel the heat leaking right through the wood. 

so what did you use for a thermostat, how big of a heat bulb, how easy is it to regulate,
whats your temp and humidity and do you have any swings in either? one more how do you adjust the the turner racks? do you have to open the door?

sure there is more others would be interested in to.So please share more detail with the board.


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## Levonsa (Dec 17, 2008)

Yes, I used 3/4 plywood and will add foam insulation if it is needed in cooler weather. It has been running since last Tuesday and the temp is the same every time that I have checked it. I have a double wafer theremostat from GQF, and used two of their heating elements and twin fans as well. To tilt the racks, I open the door and position them, I have latches on them to lock them in place.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Very nice! If you don't want to disassemble it to insulate you could just drill some small holes and use the canned foam insulation.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

you would be better off if you could avoid opening the box, I have a suggestion though
from the one pic its hard to tell, looks like pretty tight clearance between your racks. I am going to assume that you need to tilt the upper rack to get to the lower rack.

I would suggest ganging your racks together,you could even use those bolts to lock them into a connecting arm, then make a plywood crank to hook the connecting arm, run the axle pivot for the crank through the box and make a matching crank for the outside, then you should be able to just turn that crank and tilt your racks and trays.
if you dont want to bother with that second suggestion is to put some heat sinks (rocks,water jugs) would help to maintain temps between opening the door, to bounce the humidity back up I found a damp towel worked pretty good.


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## billfosburgh (May 20, 2009)

that is nice. i finished one for a freind of mine this spring. i used an old dishwasher. used the heating element in it & just wired the micro switch to it & built racks & insulated it. put in a fan & 3 egg turners salvaged from old styrofoam incubators.


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## Levonsa (Dec 17, 2008)

Downhome, I thought about something very similiar to what you are describing, but wanted to get it together and get those midget white eggs going. I already have some under each broody hen that we have and they were piling up. I don't think it will hurt them, no longer that I will have the door open, especially with the temps we are having now, no more than 3 or 4 degrees difference between inside and out. Our hens get off the nest for a few minutes at a time.


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## Levonsa (Dec 17, 2008)

Success. When I went to tilt the eggs this morning, already planning to move to the foam bator today, since I have not built the hatcher yet, 3 eggs were already hatched. By the time I cleaned the foam one up and was ready to move the eggs, three more had hatched. I guess my temp's are a tad high since they are hatching a day early. I am so excited to see it working. I haev been sitting eggs every Sunday afternoon, so hopefully we will have something hatching every weekend for a while.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Levonsa said:


> Success. When I went to tilt the eggs this morning, already planning to move to the foam bator today, since I have not built the hatcher yet, 3 eggs were already hatched. By the time I cleaned the foam one up and was ready to move the eggs, three more had hatched. I guess my temp's are a tad high since they are hatching a day early. I am so excited to see it working. I haev been sitting eggs every Sunday afternoon, so hopefully we will have something hatching every weekend for a while.



its a good feeling isnt it! congrats !!!

just dont get carried away, you will end up with a surplus and huge feed bill!


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