We breed chicks at home: what should be the right incubator built by our own hands

If you keep poultry, then you know how difficult it is to get offspring from it. Geese, ducks or hens are creatures with a delicate nervous system; they can refuse to incubate for a long time or abandon the clutch for various reasons. For guaranteed offspring, an incubator is needed on the farm. It is not difficult to make such a device with your own hands at home. Today, in this review, the homemaster.techinfus.com/en/ editorial staff will tell you the basic principles of the incubator, design features, and also give recommendations for assembling homemade devices from improvised material.

Home incubator mini-station will provide the farm with chickens, geese and ducks

How an egg incubator works: principle of operation and device

In order for a chicken to hatch from a chicken egg, special conditions must be created:

The incubator can have one or two chambers. Single-chamber designs can "incubate" many eggs, but it is more difficult to maintain the correct temperature regime in them. In two-chamber devices, the water and heating device are located separately from the egg tray.The humidified and heated air is blown in with a fan. Factory models have temperature and humidity control sensors, a system for automatic egg turning. The electronic adjustment system allows you to select different modes for breeding chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys or quails.

The first incubation structures were created by the ancient Egyptians almost 3 thousand years ago

How to make an incubator at home: we study important nuances

Factory-made models are, without a doubt, convenient and practical devices, but not everyone can afford such an expensive pleasure. Making a simple incubator for quails or chickens with your own hands is not so difficult. Its main components are: body, heating and ventilation system, coup device. Let's consider the basic requirements for them.

Incubator enclosure requirements

The most important thing is that the body of the structure must maintain the temperature regime necessary for hatching chicks. The second essential point is ease of maintenance. From time to time you need to open the device, check the operation of heating elements, ventilate the masonry.

The horizontally located body is very convenient in this regard: the lid opens upward, freeing access to all parts of the structure

And the last requirement for the body is suitable dimensions. Eggs should not lie tightly, the distance between them should not be less than a centimeter. This arrangement of the masonry provides good ventilation and uniform heating.

How to heat masonry and control the temperature

Only the optimum temperature guarantees the emergence of chicks. Even small deviations can ruin everything, which is why it is so important to choose the right heating element for the incubation structure.

The heater can be mounted above the egg tray, under it, or around the masonry. It should work smoothly and warm up the tray evenly

What heating elements can be used for the incubator:

How to ventilate your incubator

Good ventilation ensures an even heat distribution throughout the incubator. In stagnant air, the eggs overheat, and the embryos die from lack of oxygen.

Ventilation in the incubator can be continuous or intermittent. In the first option, heat is evenly distributed throughout the tray.

To accomplish this task, you do not need a powerful fan; for home purposes, a fan for an incubator can be made from a regular computer cooler with a diameter of 80 mm

Egg turning mechanisms

The bird in the nest periodically turns the eggs over. This should also be done in the incubator to ensure that the embryos develop evenly and fully. As a rule, eggs should be turned over every 3 hours.In a small incubator for a hundred eggs, this can be done manually, and in devices with 200 or more eggs, an automatic rotary mechanism for the incubator must be installed.

Automation for this purpose can be frame or inclined. A frame system is preferred for medium-sized setters: it is easy to operate and economical. But it should be remembered: with sudden movements of the frame, the eggs can be beaten.

Tilting systems are suitable for all egg sizes and are safe

But such devices consume more power and require complex maintenance. They are installed in large incubation stations.

Optimal dimensions of a home incubator for eggs

The dimensions of the incubation structure directly depend on the tasks that you are going to set for it. For a small farm, it is optimal to focus on a design for 100-120 cells. You can use all of them or only part of them depending on your needs.

The diameter of the cell for each egg is 4.5 cm. The height of the cell is at least 6.5 cm. It is convenient if the rack can be changed for larger or smaller eggs.

Related article:

DIY incubator at home: temperature conditions for poultry of different breeds

Incubation temperatures are slightly different for different poultry breeds.

Breed	Picture	Day / degrees
Chickens		1-2/39
Ducks		1-12/37,7 13-24/37,4 25-28/37,2
Indo-women		1-30/37,5
Geese		1-28/37,5
Turkeys		1-25/37,5 25-28/37,2
Quails		1-17/37,5

How to make an incubator from the refrigerator with your own hands: simple instructions

An old refrigerator is an excellent base for making an incubator. It is roomy enough to provide a small breeding farm. In addition, the refrigerator is a sealed structure in which the temperature and the required microclimate are ideally maintained. So, how to make an incubator from an old refrigerator.

Materials and tools for work

In addition to the refrigerator itself, you will need egg trays, a suitable thermostat, a fan, 100-watt incandescent lamps, and a metal grate. Of the necessary tools - a drill, a screwdriver and a construction knife.

The old refrigerator has a sealed door and a strong thermal insulation layer

How to properly prepare the refrigerator body

Remove all internal shelves and drawers from the refrigerator. All parts of the refrigeration unit can be removed to facilitate construction. After that, the body of the device should be thoroughly washed using a disinfectant solution. Bacteria that grow on the walls of an old refrigerator can lead to pestilence among chicks.

Perfect sanitary condition is the key to successful breeding of bird offspring

Ventilation system installation

To move air inside the incubator, you need to install a fan in one of the walls of the refrigerator. The fan motor is mounted externally. Fresh air will enter through the openings in the door and be drawn out by the ventilation device. If you do not know how to make ventilation in a homemade incubator, turn to the diagram.

Arrangement of an incubator in a refrigerator

Heating and humidity control system

The thermostat can be made by yourself. We will tell you in detail how you can make a simple device for an incubator using the example of different types of thermostats.

All these systems can be made by hand, but it is better to purchase a ready-made device that guarantees strict control over the temperature regime in the chamber.

To control the level of humidity, it is also better to buy a ready-made device - a psychrometer. You can find it at pet stores, veterinary pharmacies, or hardware stores.

But if you fundamentally decide to do everything yourself, take two ordinary thermometers. Wrap the nose of one of them with gauze, and release the other end into a jar of distilled water. The second device is a control one, it is fixed next to it.

Humidity is determined by the difference between the readings of the two instruments

How to DIY an incubator with an automatic flip

Egg turning automation is a complex system, you have to tinker with it. You will need to prepare a gear motor, a metal profile and a corner, plastic vegetable boxes, bearings, a chain, an asterisk and clamps.

Illustration	Action Description
	Weld the frame from the angle steel. The dimensions of the bed must correspond to the dimensions of the refrigerator body.
	To rotate the cells, you need two axes, top and bottom. The rest of the trays will rotate on the rods. Use a piece of angle as a guide to fix the bearings.
	The frame for the trays will be held in place by small brackets from that metal corner.
	It is better to make frames for trays from a light aluminum corner or galvanized profile for plasterboard. The dimensions of the frames must be suitable for the vegetable boxes. But keep in mind, boxes are not the best option. It is still better to make trays from galvanized mesh, they are better blown through.
	The frames are mounted on a rotating shaft and secured with screws.
	To securely fix the bearings, they are additionally clamped with a metal clamp, as shown in the photo.
	Secure the top and bottom bezels. Additionally prepare the mount for the gearmotor.
	Install the rest of the tray frames and connect them to the upper and lower rods, which are made of 1 cm wide metal strip. Use bolts and lock nuts for fastening.
	Install the geared motor and chain drive with sprocket. It is better to make it with your own hands, make it on 7 teeth. This design will provide an optimal, not too high swing speed.
	To prevent the trays from twisting, plastic or wood limit switches should be fixed at the bottom.
	Install the trays and the entire structure in the incubator body, connect the system to electricity.
	Connection diagram of the rotary mechanism to the time relay. SA1 - non-latching switch, SB1 - latching.
	This is how the design of a homemade incubator with an automatic flip for eggs in motion looks like.

In addition, a video instruction on how to make an incubator from the refrigerator with your own hands.

Related article:

The nuances of making a DIY foam incubator

Polyfoam is a material that keeps temperature very well. It's affordable, inexpensive, and lightweight. A very small incubator can be made of foam, for three dozen eggs or a solid structure, on a metal or wooden frame. Interesting experience in this plot:

DIY plywood incubator for eggs: video instruction

Plywood, or OSB plate, is a good basis for the body of the incubator. For thermal insulation inside, you need to use insulation, for example, isolon. A detailed description of this design is in this video.

A few tips on how to use a homemade incubator

The editors of the online magazine homemaster.techinfus.com/en/ recommend adhering to the following rules:

1. After each removal, the entire structure must be thoroughly disinfected. All parts of the device are wiped with a sponge with a bleach solution.
2. After disinfection, the incubator is dried and ventilated.
3. The incubator should be located in a place protected from drafts and temperature drops.
4. Remember to add water to the evaporating tray.
5. Make sure that the temperature sensors are located in the area of ​​the trays.
6. Before laying eggs, turn on the incubator for a day and check the stability of its operation.

Remember that stable temperature and humidity conditions are essential for healthy young poultry.

Price issue: buy or make yourself an automatic egg incubator

How much does a home incubator cost? Let's see the prices for popular models, according to Yandex.Market.

Model	Picture	Specifications
Cinderella		Number of eggs: 45. Powered by 12V: yes.

Model	Picture	Specifications
Ideal brood hen		Number of eggs: 63. Flip: automatic. Powered by 12V: yes.

Model	Picture	Specifications
Sititek		Flip: automatic. Number of eggs: 48.

Model	Picture	Specifications
Blitz		Flip: automatic. Number of eggs: 120.

As you can see, a device for 100-150 eggs will cost you like a new refrigerator. So it is much more profitable to use an old refrigerator or plywood box.

Even with the purchase of all sensors, such a design will cost you three times cheaper than a factory-made model.

If you have experience in making and operating a homemade incubator, share it in the comments!

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