# DIY Frugal incubator w/ auto egg turner



## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

So I ordered a dozen Barred Rock eggs that will be here tomorrow and I remember having to turn my duck eggs every 6-8 hours when I made one out of a Styrofoam cooler. I had a few extra parts from the greenhouse and only had to buy about $50 of hardware (includes the hinge, thermostat, bulbs, wood, sockets, drawer slides, and microwaves). This cost can vary depending on your frugal skills. 

Step one, build a rack to hold the eggs so they can roll back and forth (billiards ball rack). This rack is attached to drawer slides to allow low-friction movement. A wooden frame will encase the rack and provide the housing for the incubator. 










Step two, once the rack is able to slide freely from one end to the other, you will need a way to stop it exactly at the right spots. This can be accomplished with mechanical switches commonly obtained from a microwave.










Step two A, remove the screws holding the microwave together. These are commonly phillips, but on occasion I find some with odd bits. 










Step two B, as you can see there are many goodies found in the guts of a microwave. A big transformer for a homemade spot welder or other project with a matching high voltage capacitor and high voltage diode, a fan, a couple of ceramic magnets, wire and connectors, and a small low-rpm motor. The switches in this particular microwave are blue. 


































Step three, you need to use the motor found on the bottom of the microwave to turn your crankshaft that will be connected to your rack. Use the switches at both top dead center and bottom dead center. 


















Step four, build the rest of the housing and attach the rest of the electrical gizmos (water heater thermostat, fan, and light sockets).


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

Step five, seal it up with plywood and GreatStuff foam. 


















Step six, adjust the crap out of it, move the thermostat, add water bottles, add water dishes, etc. Do whatever is necessary to make that environment as perfect as possible (yes my humidity is quite low, but there are no eggs and only one cup out of three full of water).


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

better off with a heat element, bulbs burn up too easy... I know!

No more electricity either, only 25 bucks, vs a heat bulb at 9-12...


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

Oh ya the water heater thermostat works ok but I found in my design it needed to be nearer the heat source.

you also need to drill out a bit of the plastic housing, take it apart before drilling.

easy enough.

more holes the faster it responds.


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

I've already made the thermostat look like swiss cheese. It works very well at keeping the temp +/- .1 C. I wish I could afford a real thermostat though....


You mean like a toaster heating element? I can get one Jerry-rigged up here real quick-like.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Many times you can buy the cheap Styrofoam incubators for well less than $50.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

A nice project and skills.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

FarmTechnician said:


> So I ordered a dozen Barred Rock eggs that will be here tomorrow and I remember having to turn my duck eggs every 6-8 hours when I made one out of a Styrofoam cooler. I had a few extra parts from the greenhouse and only had to buy about $50 of hardware (includes the hinge, thermostat, bulbs, wood, sockets, drawer slides, and microwaves). This cost can vary depending on your frugal skills.
> 
> Step one, build a rack to hold the eggs so they can roll back and forth (billiards ball rack). This rack is attached to drawer slides to allow low-friction movement. A wooden frame will encase the rack and provide the housing for the incubator.


Looks like alot of work went into this. Also alot of info was left out or not explained. 
1. How does your limit switches work---meaning does the "turning" motor reverse to bring the rack back? 
2. What are you using to control the turning motor times?
3. Is this a still air bator--I think I seen a fan?
4. You did not mention Vents---you got vents?
5. From what I read---you have not hatched in this yet?
6. Can you take the turner out for the final hatch or does it just switch off?
7. If you can not take the turner out, how will you clean and sterlize all the wood after the hatch?
8. I am Interested in seeing how it hatches?
9. Looks like you sealed your hinged door shut with that great stuff--is that done for a reason?


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## Smoke_Adam (Jul 20, 2014)

Wow super cool. Interested to see how it all works out.


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

FarmTechnician said:


> I've already made the thermostat look like swiss cheese. It works very well at keeping the temp +/- .1 C. I wish I could afford a real thermostat though....
> 
> 
> You mean like a toaster heating element? I can get one Jerry-rigged up here real quick-like.


well kind of, I have not ever compared the two so can't say yes, this for sure is what I'm talking about. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/250-watt-co...-incubator-110V-heating-element-/330778567592


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> Many times you can buy the cheap Styrofoam incubators for well less than $50.


Yes, but you turn the eggs every six hours by hand. This is a $50 automatic setup. It's very cheap comparing to other egg turning designs. I can forget about the eggs for weeks.


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

Fire-Man said:


> Looks like alot of work went into this. Also alot of info was left out or not explained.
> 1. How does your limit switches work---meaning does the "turning" motor reverse to bring the rack back?
> 2. What are you using to control the turning motor times?
> 3. Is this a still air bator--I think I seen a fan?
> ...


1.) I'll post a pic of the schematic here in a bit.

2.) Cheap $3.00 timers. 24 hour settings. Turns on for 30 minute intervals. I use two. The schematic will show how I rigged it up. It's really simple.

3.) Yup. Used the fan from the microwave. 

4.) No. I was going to leave it the way it was without the foam sealant but the temperature was not stabilizing even with 4 water bottles crammed in there. Once I sealed it, it's been maintaining temp perfectly. 

5.) Not yet, eggs will be here tomorrow. This is my 3rd incubator so I'm quite confident.

6.) Switches off. Manually speaking as it would take an elaborate mechanical counter to automatically stop at a specified number of days. 

7.) Bleach mixture in a spray bottle with a towelette should suffice. It works well for my brewing equipment, lol!

8.) I'll keep updating this thread, don't worry my friend.

9.) To keep the temperature more stable. I used a razor blade to free it. It seals wonderfully.


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

And yes, I know I said tomorrow before, lol. I e-mailed the hatchery and they didn't have enough eggs to fill my order, yet marked it as shipped.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> Many times you can buy the cheap Styrofoam incubators for well less than $50.





FarmTechnician said:


> Yes, but you turn the eggs every six hours by hand. This is a $50 automatic setup. It's very cheap comparing to other egg turning designs. I can forget about the eggs for weeks.


 
Just for Info------I have bought several good working styrofoam incubators With Good working turners in the last few months for $30 and $35. I think I got about 10 of them----all but one was bought at a good deal. I bought a Like New GQF styrofoam with the turner for $45.

But "I" will have to Say---I too Enjoy building My Own!!


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

FarmTechnician said:


> 4.) No. I was going to leave it the way it was without the foam sealant but the temperature was not stabilizing even with 4 water bottles crammed in there. Once I sealed it, it's been maintaining temp perfectly.


You have to have vents in it---so it can exchange the air, so the Chicks don't die from stagnated air.


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

Fire-Man said:


> You have to have vents in it---so it can exchange the air, so the Chicks don't die from stagnated air.


There's plenty of air exchange. It's not air tight, I assure you.


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

Fire-Man said:


> Just for Info------I have bought several good working styrofoam incubators With Good working turners in the last few months for $30 and $35. I think I got about 10 of them----all but one was bought at a good deal. I bought a Like New GQF styrofoam with the turner for $45.
> 
> But "I" will have to Say---I too Enjoy building My Own!!


Add shipping and the cost of my unit brand new is the same, however without an egg turner, you should be able to incubate 5 dozen eggs in mine vs only a dozen in the Miller. There's a reason I chose this over buying a pre-fab. Turkeys? Ostriches? No problem....


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

FarmTechnician said:


> Yes, but you turn the eggs every six hours by hand. This is a $50 automatic setup. It's very cheap comparing to other egg turning designs. I can forget about the eggs for weeks.


No you cant!
you need to check temp, check humidity, check for fertility.


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

Forcast said:


> No you cant!
> you need to check temp, check humidity, check for fertility.


I forgot about a batch of eggs with my last incubator for about 6 days. They all developed into later stages but died as I never turned them after a week. Once the temp is set, it should remain stable and should not need adjustment or monitoring. Humidity is the only real issue needing monitoring and a water dish lasts for a couple days depending on the amount of water vs surface area. Once I get this batch of eggs done, I'll make another incubator with an Arduino board for full automation with a humidifier.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

FarmTechnician said:


> I forgot about a batch of eggs with my last incubator for about 6 days. They all developed into later stages but died as I never turned them after a week. Once the temp is set, it should remain stable and should not need adjustment or monitoring. Humidity is the only real issue needing monitoring and a water dish lasts for a couple days depending on the amount of water vs surface area. Once I get this batch of eggs done, I'll make another incubator with an Arduino board for full automation with a humidifier.


 
FarmTechnician, you seem to be having Fun and I hope you have real Good Luck with your "toys"/Incubators. Maybe you can design a incubator that is a true "set-it/forget-it" type that most anyone can have real good luck with.

I too built a incubator/with turner and hatcher about 6 months ago---mostly from things I had laying around----I did not use a Arduino board or micro switches----I just wanted it simple, so it would run less trouble free---So Far I have hatched right at 2000 chicks with them---average 75 per week----My incubator has not been turned off in 6 months. As I stated above---I like Making My Own too!


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

The eggs were delivered. Someone dropped the box and left it on my porch without knocking or anything so I hope they didn't get too cold, you can see the damage in the picture. All the eggs survived without cracks, surprisingly. They are in the incubator and I've been doing my best to keep the humidity up. 20 days until we know. I would be happy if I get 2-3 chicks after the hell these little babies went through. If this ends up being a bad hatch, I can't blame it on any one thing at this point.

Words of wisdom: USPS isn't what it used to be. efowl.com has good customer service and communication on weekdays. I would be happy to go through them again if I can arrange a different shipper.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

How is that box of eggs fairing! Have you candled them yet?


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

Fighting to keep the humidity above 40% (my goal was 50, but the wood is soaking up all of the moisture). They have only been in there a few days. I'll let them go another few more before I pull a few out to check on their development. I forgot I was supposed to post a schematic. I'll have to get on that.


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## FarmTechnician (Dec 25, 2014)

9 out of 13 hatched, 2 developed but died in the egg. 2 yolkers.


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