There are two options for making an incubator at home: simple and complex. Do-it-yourself incubator: types and design features How to make a manual incubator

There is a great opportunity to save money - make an incubator yourself. It's not as difficult as it seems at first glance. From the article you will learn about the features of creating an incubator from available materials, what are the requirements for this process, and how to choose the right eggs for laying.

Description and types of homemade incubators

Incubators are made in different sizes according to the number of eggs that are used when laying. The location of the device also plays a role. But even the simplest incubator must be equipped with a thermometer to record the microclimate, ventilation, and egg trays.

Did you know? A day-old chick has the same skills and reflexes as a 3-year-old child.

pros

• Among the advantages of such “hens” experienced poultry farmers name:
• savings in energy consumption;
• reliability;
• the ability to lay large volumes of eggs;
• versatility (equally suitable for all types of birds);
• microclimate suitable for chick survival.

Minuses

• The home incubator has certain disadvantages:
• when creating it, it is important to take into account the requirements for such devices, otherwise the result will not be achieved;
• the appearance of such a device is often inferior to purchased ones;
• If you are assembling an incubator for the first time, then there is a possibility of making a mistake when assembling it.

For example, before you start assembling a device, you need to consider every little detail. It is possible to eliminate some shortcomings, since it is within the power of everyone who is going to create an incubator. Then you don’t have to think about purchasing a store-bought one.

Requirements for homemade devices

In order for a structure to perform its assigned functions effectively, it must meet the following requirements:

• temperature. When assembling the incubator, remember that it will have to maintain a microclimate at +37°C...39°C;
• humidity. During the entire period that the eggs are in the device, this parameter will need to be changed according to the phase of the process;
• ventilation. The appliance must have a fan to ensure a constant flow of air. optimal ratio between heat and humidity.

Important! It is the complex of these three components that provides the eggs with the same conditions as under the wing of a hen.

General manufacturing rules

Today, home incubators are made from the most various materials and devices (there are examples of similar devices made even from a microwave oven).

However, their manufacture must always comply with a number of general rules:

• it is necessary to work only with dry, clean materials;
• When covering the frame, make sure that there are no cracks or holes for heat to escape (if necessary, use sealant);
• at the planning stage, think about where you will place a container of water to maintain humidity in the device;
• It is also important to remember about heating: to provide it, several 25 W lamps are used, one of which should be fixed at the bottom for uniform heat distribution;
• do not forget to make several holes for exhaust ventilation;
• be sure to place a thermometer and observation window with a light bulb (for example, 12 volts) on the lid to monitor the situation inside the incubator.

Did you know? U p A rooster has many functions in a chicken flock: it calls hens to food, protects them from small predators, and prevents conflict between birds.

How to make your own chicken egg incubator

Now in more detail about how to make a homemade device for incubating chickens and other birds.

To assemble the device, you will need diagrams and drawings with dimensions, as well as a set of tools and various materials from which you plan to create an incubator.

With automatic revolution

If you don’t want to assemble a mechanism for automatic turning yourself (as described in the example above), then you can buy a ready-made structure: it can be attached to any homemade device.

The operating principle of the automatic turning mechanism is simple and effective. It not only performs the functions of a hen, but also allows you to maintain the temperature inside the device, because the lid is opened less often. Having such equipment, you do not have to worry about being able to turn the eggs in the device in a timely manner.

From the refrigerator

An equally popular option for a homemade incubator is making one from non-working refrigerators. For this, you can use both two-chamber and industrial devices, because their design provides for careful temperature preservation (which is extremely important for an incubator).

In addition to the refrigerator, to create the device you will need:

• cardboard box;
• wooden blocks to create a frame;
• incandescent light bulbs (at the rate of 4 pieces per 100 eggs);
• trays for eggs (wooden, plastic, metal);
• fan;
• thermometer;
• thermostat;
• gear motor;
• bearings with clamps;
• hygrometer (it is designed to measure humidity, so if the thermostat has such a function, then you can do without a separate device).

It is worth preparing a number of tools for work:

• jigsaw;
• pliers;
• electrical tape.

Assembling a device from a non-working refrigerator involves several steps:

1. First, holes are drilled at the top - for light bulbs and ventilation.
2. For the same purpose, 3-4 openings with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm are made in the lower part of the refrigerator door.
3. The walls of the device are insulated using cardboard.
4. A container with liquid is installed at the bottom of the structure to maintain moisture in the device.
5. The fan is secured and connected to electricity. The optimal operating speed for it is 5 m/s. Just do not direct the air flow onto the trays, otherwise the eggs may spoil.
6. Insert wires for incandescent lamps into the holes made on top and secure the heating devices.
7. It is necessary to equip the incubator with thermostats. In such a large device, 3 types are usually used: a bimetallic plate (it closes the electricity when a certain heating level is reached), an electric contactor (it turns off the heating at a given temperature) and a barometric sensor (it closes the circuit when there is excessive pressure).
8. Make sure you have a mechanism for rotating the eggs. In nature, the hen turns them over 3-4 times a day, which means that the incubator should also have special design. For it, install a gearbox at the bottom.
9. Place on top wooden frame for trays so that they move 60° forward and backward.
10. The gearbox and trays are connected by a rod.

Video: How to make an egg incubator from a refrigerator

From foam plastic

Polystyrene foam (or polystyrene foam) is considered one of the most cost-effective and suitable quality materials for creating a home incubator. It holds heat well, is lightweight and easy to work with.

Did you know? The chick embryo needs oxygen already on the 6th day of incubation.

To make an incubator from penoplex, you will need the following materials:

• 2 sheets of foam plastic (penoplex);
• a sheet of transparent plastic for the window;
• 4-5 lamps and sockets for them;
• thermostat;
• glue;
• trays (quantity - depending on wishes).

Also prepare your tools:

• stationery knife / scissors for cutting penoplex;
• soldering iron;
• corner and ruler.

Let's start assembling the device:

1. Cut the sheet into 4 equal parts, measuring everything with a ruler/square: these will be the sides of the body.
2. Glue them together. This is a frame future design.
3. The sheet should be divided into 2 equal parts, one of which is additionally cut into pieces 60 cm wide (the cover of the device) and 40 cm (its bottom).
4. The bottom layer is glued to the finished frame. Tighten the entire structure with tape, giving it rigidity.
5. In the upper part, cut a square 12 x 12 cm. Cover it with plastic: this will be the window and ventilation of our incubator.

   Important!Some amateur poultry farmers also install a fan in the incubator to better circulate air. Only the air flow from it should be directed towards the lamps, and not the eggs: this will dry them out.

6. From the remaining polystyrene foam, cut out 2 beams 6 cm high and 4 cm wide, then glue them to the bottom along the long sides (these will be the legs on which you will place the egg trays).
7. On 40-centimeter walls, make 3 holes (1-2 cm in diameter) at the same distance at a level of 1 cm from the bottom.
8. To prevent the material from fraying, you need to burn the edges with a soldering iron.
9. We install the roof. To keep it more firmly on the frame, thin (for example, 2 x 2 cm) foam boards should be attached to it from the inside at a distance of 5 cm from the edge.
10. Having finished with the design, it's time to start working on it interior arrangement: install lamp sockets in any order (as convenient for you).
11. Secure the thermostat 1 cm above the tray. Choosing it is not difficult - just focus on the number of eggs in the planned set. Today there are devices on sale that can control devices for 20 eggs, 30 eggs, 1000 eggs. If possible, choose thermostats that simultaneously measure temperature and humidity.
12. Place trays. A gap of at least 4-5 cm is needed between them and the side walls, otherwise there will be no high-quality ventilation.

Video: DIY foam incubator

Having assembled the incubator, you can begin selecting eggs for laying. Not all of them are suitable for poultry breeding.

Therefore, it is important to know how to choose the right ones:

• pay attention to the shell: it should be without cracks, dents, tubercles or marbled coloring;
• shine the eggs under the lamp and leave those in which the formed yolk is clearly visible on a transparent background without unnecessary inclusions or spots. When turning the egg, it should move slightly;
• choose larger, regular-shaped eggs.

Important!If you plan to place eggs of different types (chickens, geese, ducks) in one bookmark, then use trays on different levels. Each bird has its own requirements for timing and temperature, and it is important to adhere to them for a successful result.

But it is important not only to choose the right planting material, but also prepare them for bookmarking:

• Eggs must be stored in a cool place for no more than 7 days;
• immediately before laying, you need to transfer them to a room at room temperature for 8-12 hours (otherwise condensation will form on them in a warm incubator, and this can lead to the development of mold and death of the embryo);
• There are no exact recommendations regarding laying out chicken eggs in trays: place them vertically, horizontally. As for larger specimens, they can be placed with the pointed end down or even at an angle. Although most experienced poultry farmers claim that when placed horizontally, eggs warm up better.

After laying the eggs, periodically check their quality. Already 6-7 days after the start of the process, it is worth shining them through a lamp: blood vessels in the protein and a dark embryo should already be visible.

Temperature conditions for different types of poultry

Temperature is the most important condition for hatching eggs. Lack of heat slows down the growth of embryos, and prolonged hypothermia leads to death. Overheating can lead to the same consequences. Even if the embryos survive, the chicks will end up with deformed body parts and organs.

Different bird species have their own parameters for a suitable microclimate:

• for chickens, first you should keep the level at +38°C-+39°C, eventually dropping to +37.6°C;
• ducklings will feel better at +37.8°C with a gradual decrease to +37.1°C;
• goose eggs require no less than +38.4°C, and closer to the end of incubation the temperature can be lowered to +37.4°C;
• for turkey the fluctuations are lower: in the first days it is worth heating to +37.6°C, gradually reducing the level to +37.1°C;
• quails like the same temperature (+37.5°C) throughout the incubation process.

Did you know?Chickens cluck for a reason: they constantly exchange information about what is happening around them, including their own well-being.

So, making an incubator with your own hands is not so difficult and expensive. But you can create a device that is ideally suited to your conditions in terms of size and number of eggs for incubation. Before assembly, carefully study the rules and sanitary standards regarding such devices, otherwise the success of the enterprise will be in doubt.

Spring is an amazing time of year! When the snow melts, the birds that have flown away for the winter arrive, and the first leaves appear on the trees, rarely does anyone want to think about work. However, as you know, a good owner prepares for different weather in advance, and feeds him for a month a year.

It is in the spring that residents of private farms begin to think about updating the number of poultry. After all, chickens mean fresh eggs and meat, and excellent quality. You can, of course, wait until the quonka appears, but modern breeds are too capricious in this regard, so it is much more reliable option- assemble an egg incubator with your own hands and use it to hatch chickens. You can also purchase a ready-made factory solution, but this will require much more money. In this regard, a homemade egg incubator is more appropriate.

One problem, many solutions

There are several approaches to solving this issue, sometimes significantly different from each other. So, if you need to assemble a small incubator with your own hands and hatch 20-50 chickens, then the labor intensity of this work will be insignificant. But if a brood is needed on an industrial scale (for example, for a small farm), then the cost of money and time will be much higher. Accordingly, in the first case, you can worry much less about the quality of the product, using the principle “it works - and that’s okay,” because out of 50 eggs, 20-30 chickens will hatch in any case.

Thus, everyone decides for themselves how to assemble the incubator with their own hands and what costs are allowed. We list the main points that must be taken into account when designing and assembling any incubator:

The percentage of brood depends on the stability and uniformity of heating. Therefore, the heat source must be optimally positioned to avoid dead spots;

The ventilation system must work quite efficiently. If it is represented by simple ventilation holes, then they must be placed at different levels;

It is imperative to take care of a backup energy source in case of unexpected outages. Sometimes almost the entire brood is lost due to accidents on power lines in the last days of incubation.

The most budget option

A do-it-yourself incubator for a couple of dozen eggs can be made from a simple cardboard box with a lid. In its upper part (in the corners of a conventional equilateral triangle) three holes are made into which three lamp sockets are built in. When the distance from the surface of the eggs to the lamps is no more than 20 cm, 25 watts is sufficient. There are 8 small holes in the bottom wall for ventilation. Installed at the bottom of the box simple frame made of slats, covered with fine mesh - it is on this that the eggs are laid. A thermometer mount is made in the center of the structure: it should be flush with the surface of the eggs. A temperature sensor is attached next to it, recording the temperature and controlling the thermostat. Under the tray there is a container with low sides filled with water - its evaporation creates the necessary humidity. To add liquid, a kind of door is provided in the paper wall through which the container can be removed. From the first day of incubation, the eggs must be turned daily to ensure even heating. Although this DIY incubator seems simple, it is quite effective. With a box size of 650x450x600, it is possible to hatch 60 chickens.

Improvements

The design of the incubator can be improved by placing a mirror film (substrate) on the inner walls, which reduces heat loss. Also the cardboard box can be replaced homemade box, made of polystyrene foam sheets, since its service life rarely exceeds two seasons.

On homestead farms, the use of large industrial incubators may be impractical due to their large capacity. To raise a small number of poultry, small incubators are needed, which you can make with your own hands, using available tools and materials.

We will present several methods for making incubators. However, even homemade incubator must meet certain requirements, which you will learn about in this article.

How to make your own incubator for chicken eggs

Breeding poultry is a fairly profitable activity, but in order to uninterruptedly produce productive young animals, you need to buy or make your own device in which the young animals will be raised.

You will learn how to make an incubator for chicken eggs or quails with your own hands, using available materials, from the sections below.

What to pay attention to

To fully hatch young poultry, you should adhere to certain recommendations and requirements regarding the use of the incubator and its manufacture:

• The temperature at a distance of two centimeters from the eggs should not exceed 38.6 degrees, and the minimum temperature is 37.3 degrees;
• Only fresh eggs are suitable for incubation, which should not be stored for more than ten days;
• It is necessary to maintain an optimal level of humidity in the incubator. Before biting it is 40-60%, and after the start of biting it is 80%. Humidity levels must be reduced before chicks are collected.

The hatching of young poultry also depends on the location of the eggs inside the incubator. They must be placed vertically (sharp end down) or horizontally. If the eggs are located vertically, they should be tilted to the right or left by 45 degrees (when laying goose or duck eggs, the tilt degree is up to 90 degrees).

If the eggs are placed horizontally, they must be turned at least three times a day by 180 degrees. However, it is best to turn the eggs every hour. A few days before hatching, the eggs stop turning.

Rules

If you are interested in how to make a homemade egg incubator, you should know that this device is made according to certain rules.

To make an incubator you will need:

1. Body material, which retains heat well (wood or foam). This is necessary so that the temperature inside the device does not change during the hatching process. You can use an old refrigerator, microwave, or even a TV as a housing.
2. For heating eggs they use ordinary lamps (from 25 to 100 W depending on the size of the incubator), and to control the temperature, a regular thermometer is placed inside the device.
3. So that there is constant flow inside the incubator Fresh air , you need to arrange ventilation. For small devices, it is enough to drill holes in the side walls and bottom, and for large incubators (for example, made from a refrigerator), install several fans (under and above the egg rack).

Figure 1. Common types of incubators: 1 - with automatic egg turning, 2 - mini-incubator, 3 - industrial model

Trays or grates can be purchased or made from metal mesh. It is important that there is space between the trays for free air circulation.

Peculiarities

The incubator needs to be adjusted high-quality ventilation. Preference should be given to forced ventilation, since constant air movement will ensure that the required temperature and humidity inside the incubator are maintained.

Figure 1 shows the main types of incubators that can be used for breeding young poultry on a backyard farm. Below is a video overview of the operation of an industrial incubator for a thousand eggs.

How to auto-rotate eggs in an incubator

Incubators without manual egg turning are not very convenient, since a person needs to constantly monitor the incubation process and manually turn all the eggs. It is much easier to immediately make a homemade incubator with auto-rotation (Figure 2).

Instructions

There are several options for arranging automatic rotation of eggs in an incubator. For small devices, you can simply equip a movable grid, which is driven by a small roller. As a result, the eggs move slowly and gradually turn over.

Note: Flaw this method The point is that you will still have to control the revolution, since the eggs can simply move from their place, but not turn over.

Roller rotation is considered more modern, for which special rollers are installed under the grate to rotate the eggs. To prevent damage to the shell, all rollers are covered with a mosquito net. However, this method also has a significant drawback: to manufacture an auto-rotate system, you will have to take up free space in the incubator by installing rollers.

Figure 2. Diagram of automatic egg turning in the incubator

The best method is considered to be the inversion method, in which the entire tray with eggs is tilted 45 degrees at once. The rotation is driven by a special mechanism located outside, and all eggs are guaranteed to warm up.

How to properly lay eggs in an incubator

Incubation of poultry eggs should be carried out taking into account certain characteristics and an optimal hatching regime should be maintained. The table in Figure 3 shows the basic requirements for hatching eggs from chickens, ducks and geese.

First of all, during incubation it is necessary to maintain correct temperature(minimum 37.5 - maximum 37.8 degrees). It is also necessary to regularly check the humidity, determining it by the difference in temperature on the “wet” and “dry” bulbs. If the “wet” bulb shows a temperature of up to 29 degrees, then the humidity is about 60 percent.

Figure 3. Optimal modes incubation

The incubation mode must also meet the following requirements:

• Eggs must be turned at least 8 times a day;
• When hatching young geese and ducks, the eggs must be periodically cooled using a combined method: the first half of incubation, the eggs are cooled with air for half an hour, and then irrigated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• During breeding of young animals, the air temperature on the “dry” thermometer should not exceed 34 degrees, and humidity - within 78-90 degrees.

It is important that insufficient heating of eggs, regardless of the stage of incubation, can slow down the growth and development of embryos, since the chicks absorb and use protein less well. As a result of insufficient warming, most chicks die before hatching, and the surviving chicks hatch later, their umbilical cord does not heal and their abdomen enlarges.

Depending on the stage, underheating can cause some disturbances. In the first stage of incubation they include:

• The intestines fill with fluid and blood;
• The kidneys become enlarged and the liver becomes unevenly colored;
• Swelling appears on the neck.

During the second stage of incubation, underheating can provoke:

• Swelling of the umbilical ring;
• The intestines fill with bile;
• Enlargement of the heart due to underheating in the last few days of incubation.

Overheating of eggs during incubation can cause external deformities (eyes, jaws and head), and chicks begin hatching prematurely. If the temperature has been elevated in the last few days, the chicks may be deformed internal organs(heart, liver and stomach) and the walls of the abdominal cavity do not grow together.

Severe and short-term overheating can lead to the fact that the embryo dries to the inside of the shell, the chick will develop swelling and hemorrhages on the skin, and the embryo itself is located with its head in the yolk, which is not normal.

Figure 4. Normal development of the embryo (left) and possible defects if the humidity regime is violated (right)

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures in the second half of incubation leads to early movement of the embryo in the air chamber, and unused protein can be seen inside the egg. In addition, in the brood there are many chicks that pecked the shell, but died without retracting the yolk.

Violations of the humidity regime can also cause serious problems(Figure 4):

• High humidity causes slow development of embryos, embryos do not use protein well and often die in the middle and end of incubation;
• If the humidity was increased during pecking, the chicks' beaks may begin to stick to the shell, a goiter may develop, and excess fluid may be observed in the intestines and stomach. Swelling and hemorrhages may develop in the neck;
• Increased humidity often causes late hatching and the hatching of lethargic young with a swollen belly and too light down;
• If the humidity was low, pecking begins in the middle part of the egg, and the shell membranes are dry and too strong;
• At low humidity small and dry young hatch.

It is especially important to support optimal humidity(80-82%) during the hatching period. It is worth noting that during all periods of incubation one should strive to maintain the temperature and humidity conditions that exist during natural incubation.

Figure 5. Possible defects in eggs when examined with an ovoscope

The duration of incubation depends on the type of poultry. For example, for chickens meat breeds it is 21 days and 8 hours. If the normal incubation regime was maintained, the beginning of pipping begins on the 19th day and 12 hours after laying the eggs, the chicks begin to hatch already on the 20th day, and after another 12 hours the most of young animals During incubation, eggs must be periodically examined with an ovoscope in order to detect damage in time (Figure 5). You will learn more details about ventilation and temperature conditions during incubation from the video.

What is needed for this

To properly lay eggs in the incubator, you need to warm up the device in advance and prepare the eggs.

For breeding young poultry, only eggs that have been stored for no longer than a week in a dark room with good ventilation at room temperature are suitable. Before laying, they must be examined with an ovoscope and eggs without damage, cracks or growths on the shell are selected.

Peculiarities

Only eggs of the correct shape and with a characteristic shell color for a certain type of bird can be placed in the incubator.

In addition, you need to choose the right grill that will match the size of the eggs. For example, quail requires a smaller grid, and turkey requires a larger one. It is also necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with the temperature and humidity conditions of incubation for each type of bird.

How to make a homemade incubator from a refrigerator

Very often, home incubators are made from old refrigerators, since the housing of these household appliances is quite spacious and allows large batches of young birds to be hatched at the same time.

You can watch how to make an incubator from a refrigerator with your own hands with detailed instructions in the video.

Instructions

Before starting to manufacture the incubator, you need to draw up a drawing and plan for connecting all the necessary elements. You also need to wash the body and remove all the shelves and freezer from it.

The procedure for making an incubator from an old refrigerator includes the following steps(Figure 6):

• Several holes are drilled in the ceiling for mounting lamps and arranging ventilation;
• The inside of the walls is lined with thin sheets of polystyrene foam to retain heat inside the device longer;
• Trays or racks for eggs are installed on the shelves;
• A temperature sensor is placed inside, and the thermostat is brought outside;
• Several ventilation holes are drilled in the lower part of the side walls, and in order to provide more high level air flow, fans are installed at the top and bottom.

Figure 6. Scheme for making a household incubator from an old refrigerator

It is also advisable to cut a small viewing window in the door to make it more convenient to observe the incubation process without opening the door.

How to make an incubator from foam plastic step by step

The body of a homemade incubator can be made from old box from under a TV or a polystyrene box, strengthening it with a frame made of wooden slats. Four porcelain light bulb sockets need to be secured into the frame. Light bulbs for heating eggs are screwed into three sockets, and the fourth light bulb is used to heat water in the bath. The power of all light bulbs should not exceed 25 W. Examples and drawings for the manufacture of simple incubators are shown in Figure 7.

Note: The middle lamp is often turned on only at a certain time: from 17-23-00. A bath of water to maintain humidity can also be made from scrap materials. For example, using a herring jar and cutting off part of its lid. Water will evaporate better from such a container, and the lid will prevent local overheating of the eggs.

A grill for eggs is installed inside a homemade incubator. The surface of eggs on the grill should be at least 17 centimeters from the light bulb, and eggs under the grill should be at least 15 centimeters away.

To measure the temperature inside the incubator, use a regular thermometer. To make it convenient to use the incubator, its front wall must be made removable and covered with cardboard or other dense material. Twists are used for fastening. Such a removable wall allows you to place trays of eggs inside the incubator, place a bath and change the water in it, as well as carry out all other manipulations.

Figure 7. Schemes for making simple incubators from a refrigerator and a box

You need to make a window in the incubator lid that will serve for ventilation and temperature control. The length of the window is 12 centimeters and the width is 8 centimeters. It is better to cover it with glass, leaving a small gap along the width.

For additional ventilation, three small square holes (1.5 centimeters on each side) should also be made along the long wall near the floor. They must be open at all times for a constant flow of fresh air.

How to make an incubator from a microwave oven

A microwave incubator is made according to the same principle as an appliance from a refrigerator. But it is worth considering that such an incubator will not fit many eggs, so at home it is used mainly for breeding quails.

When making an incubator from a microwave oven, you need to consider some features(Figure 8):

• The outside of the housing must be lined with thin sheets of foam to stabilize the temperature inside;
• Ventilation holes are left in the upper part, and the door is not insulated or sealed for additional fresh air;
• An egg tray is installed inside, but since there is not enough space in the chamber for cans of water, a container with liquid for moisturizing is placed directly under the tray.

Figure 8. The procedure for making an incubator from a microwave oven with your own hands

It is also necessary to protect eggs from overheating by installing barriers on incandescent lamps.

How to make ventilation in an incubator with your own hands

The homemade incubator also does not have a special cooling system for the eggs, since they cool for several minutes during the turning process. During the entire incubation, the temperature should be maintained at 39 degrees.

For ease of use, legs can be attached to the incubator. And since this equipment is very compact, and the process of incubating eggs is not accompanied by the release of unpleasant odors, young poultry can be hatched even in a city apartment (Figure 9). The procedure for making a simple homemade incubator is shown in the video.

How to make a humidifier in an incubator

For normal operation a homemade incubator should be filled with half a glass of water per day into the bath. If you need to increase the humidity level, you can put a rag in the bath, which is washed every two days.

To lay eggs, special slats are placed in the incubator, and the eggs are placed in the gaps between them. The slats should be made rounded on the sides. To make it easier to turn the eggs, you need to leave free space in the tray corresponding to one egg.

Note: Eggs in a homemade incubator are manually turned 180 degrees. It will be better if the eggs are turned over up to 6 times a day with an equal time interval (every 2-4 hours).

Figure 9. Drawings for making simple do-it-yourself incubators

To maintain humidity, no devices are provided in the homemade incubator, and this mode is maintained approximately. To evaporate the liquid, it is recommended to install 25 or 15 Watt bulbs. Before hatching begins, the evaporator is not turned on, and if you turn it off too early, the eggs will develop a shell that is too hard, which the chicks will not be able to break.

Breeding chickens is simply impossible without special equipment. Poultry farmers often purchase industrial devices because they consider this the only possible solution. But making such an incubator with your own hands is not at all difficult. In this case, the device will not only be much cheaper, but also fully meet the requirements of the breeder.

Breeding chickens is simply impossible without special equipment

To make the simplest homemade apparatus, foam is used. Making such an incubator yourself is very simple.

To make the simplest homemade apparatus, foam is used

• Styrofoam;
• cardboard boxes;
• scotch;
• light bulbs and sockets;
• thermostat;
• a pair of fans that are used in computers;
• container for liquid;
• thermometer;
• plastic trays.

The entire manufacturing process comes down to several stages:

1. Preparation of drawings taking into account all dimensions.
2. In accordance with the drawing and dimensions, the necessary elements are cut out of foam plastic and attached to each other with tape.
3. Electrical wiring is done in the finished box.
4. All walls of the box, both inside and outside, are covered with cardboard.
5. Holes are cut out in the cardboard for light bulbs and fixing trays.
6. A hole is cut out in the upper part and covered with plastic. This creates a viewing window.
7. Fans are fixed.
8. Liquid containers are installed in the lower part.
9. At the final stage, the trays are fixed and the light bulbs are screwed in.

Incubator from the refrigerator: how to make it yourself

For manufacturing, you can use a two-chamber or regular old refrigerator

For manufacturing, you can use a two-chamber or a regular old refrigerator. As in any other case, the work begins with preparing a drawing and drawing up a diagram according to which all the elements will be connected. All the shelves of the refrigerator itself are being pulled out.

To make such an incubator, you must follow the following instructions:

1. WITH inside For the future design, several holes are drilled in the ceiling for lamps, as well as a through hole for ventilation.
2. The walls are covered with sheets of polystyrene foam, which will help retain heat.
3. An egg tray is made from old grates.
4. Above, with outside fix the thermostat, and on the inside - the sensor.
5. Several holes are drilled in the bottom for ventilation.
6. A pair of fans are fixed at the bottom and top.

A small hole is cut out in the door, which is covered with plastic and coated with sealant.

Incubators with automatic egg turning: how to make it yourself

In order for the incubation process to be correct and successful, the eggs must be rotated periodically

In order for the incubation process to be correct and successful, the eggs must be rotated periodically. Doing this manually is both inconvenient and undesirable, since this disrupts the temperature regime. That is why it is recommended to independently assemble a device equipped with a rotating mechanism.

To do this you will need the following materials:

• sheets of plywood and blocks of wood;
• Styrofoam;
• tray;
• net;
• 4 lamps;
• metal plates;
• containers for liquid;
• motor with worm gear.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Using bars and plywood, the frame is assembled.
2. The structure is lined with foam plastic on the inside.
3. To turn the eggs automatically, they think through the main mechanism - install an electric motor.
4. An axis is made in the upper part of the box, on which the trays will be installed in the future. A mesh is used for this.
5. A pin is made from the plates and connected to the rotation axis and brought out.
6. A rod is screwed to the motor and connected to the tray and pin.
7. Light bulbs are installed at the bottom of the apparatus and covered with metal plates.
8. A thermometer and liquid containers are installed.
9. Small holes are made for ventilation.

Thanks to this automatic design, incubating even 1000 eggs will be easy and simple. After all, there is no need to constantly turn them manually.

Manufacturing of a multi-tier incubator

To increase productivity, devices consisting of several tiers are often used

To increase productivity, devices consisting of several tiers are often used. It is much more difficult to assemble such a structure, but if you take care of preparing the drawings, the installation process will become much easier.

Assembly is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. The body is constructed from plywood.
2. A removable door is made from the plate on the back side.
3. The space inside the box is divided into three compartments. The distance from the ceiling to the side partitions should be about five centimeters.
4. Trays are installed in the side compartments.
5. To ensure that the trays turn over at the same time, attach handles to each of the trays.
6. The middle compartment is equipped with a thermostat and heating elements.
7. Each compartment has its own door.

Heating system

Regardless of the type of incubator and materials used, special attention must be paid to the heating system

Regardless of the type of incubator and materials used, special attention must be paid to the heating system.

Eat whole line requirements that must be met:

1. Heating elements are placed both under the trays and on the sides, top and along the perimeter.
2. The distance from the heating system to the tray must be at least 25 centimeters when using light bulbs and 10 centimeters when heating using nichrome wire.
3. No drafts.
4. The error of the maintained temperature is no more than half a degree.

The regulator can be used in several types:

• bimetallic plates;
• barometric sensors;
• electric contactors.

Particular attention is paid to safety measures, since all homemade devices are fire hazardous.

Even a novice poultry farmer can make an incubator on his own. But there are a number of points on which productivity directly depends:

1. The heat must be maintained at all times, even if there are power outages. To do this, a special battery must be provided into which hot water. By covering the structure with a blanket, the temperature will remain for about twelve hours.
2. The heat must be distributed evenly. To avoid the need to constantly rearrange trays, it is recommended to equip the device with two heat sources. One is on top and the other is below.
3. An important point is also the optimization of temperature. To ensure the flow of warm air faster, during the manufacturing process of the trays, the bottom is equipped with a metal mesh. The trays themselves should be movable, not stationary. Due to this, problems with temperature fluctuations simply will not arise.

DIY small incubator (video)

A simple home incubator from a refrigerator (video)

The main advantage of a homemade incubator is its low cost. After all, you only have to spend money on Consumables. In addition, only in this case can you accurately select the dimensions of the equipment and calculate the required number of trays depending on the scale of production. Moreover, the work process is not at all complicated and exciting.

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Making an incubator with your own hands is very simple and even not very experienced poultry farmers can do it.

Homemade incubators have many advantages - low cost, reliability and simplicity, the ability to make a design for a large number of eggs.

There are a huge variety of options for homemade devices. Sometimes the most unexpected materials are used to create them - refrigerators, buckets and even basins.

The article discusses how to make an incubator correctly at home.

Types and drawings of devices

Most breeders raise chicks at home. There is not always a hen ready to hatch birds. In addition, it is often necessary to obtain young animals within a certain time frame.

According to experienced bird breeders, a simple home hatchery incubator can sometimes produce up to 90% hatching rates.

Some manufacturers offer kits for making home incubators.

But the lever flap of the tray is difficult to assemble for a person who does not have special skills.

But if you have the appropriate diagram or the necessary drawings, then you can make an incubator with your own hands without any problems, even at home.

If you want to figure out how to make an incubator, you first need to make drawings of your future device.

A homemade home incubator can be made from various available materials - wood scraps, an old refrigerator or even out of a box.

It is important to ensure that your device is well insulated. Present on the modern market big choice heat-insulating materials - polystyrene foam, mineral wool and much more.

The incubator is heated using conventional incandescent lamps with a power of 25-40 W. For a small device, 4 lamps are enough. You can also heat incubators with electric heating elements.

If you use lamps, the eggs should be located at a distance of at least 25 cm from heating element.

If the air is heated by nichrome wire, then the eggs can be at a distance of 10 cm from it. It is very important to avoid drafts, otherwise the chicks may not hatch.

From a cardboard box

The simplest version of such a device for home can be built from an ordinary cardboard box.
You should prepare a box measuring approximately 50 by 50 by 50 cm.

Cover the inside with paper and felt in several layers. Make a window at the top through which you will monitor the process.

For the wires, make small holes through which you will connect 25 W electric lamps. The lamps are installed 15 cm above the eggs.

Seal the holes around the wires with cotton wool so that the heat, which is important for future birds, does not escape.

Trays can be made from wooden slats; also attach slats to the walls of the box on which the trays will be attached.

In order to warm air distributed evenly throughout the box, you also need to install a fan.

You can use a fan from a broken computer. To increase the humidity inside the incubator, place a small container of water below.

Such an incubator should be installed not on the floor, but on wooden blocks, at a height of 15-20 cm from the floor in a place in your house where there are no drafts.

From a bowl or basin

Such homemade devices for the home are perfect if there are power outages.

To make it, you will need two bowls or similar containers of the same size, preferably metal.

Such round containers will heat up evenly, which means the eggs will too.

The bowls are placed one on top of the other so that a cavity is formed inside. On the one hand, they need to be fastened together with furniture canopies or in another way convenient for you.

This way you will get an opening lid.

Hang the cartridge in the center of the top bowl. You can attach it to the bracket using glue or silicone. This way your bowl will remain intact.

It is better, of course, to make a hole and insert a cartridge into it, but in this case you will no longer be able to use the bowl for its intended purpose.

In a deep container, the lamp can be installed horizontally, and in large basins, install several light bulbs (select their number by testing).

Pour 1.5-2 cm of sand into the bottom bowl, then put foil, and lay straw or hay on top.

Make several small holes in the foil to allow moisture to evaporate. You need to install the entire structure where your home maintains approximately the same temperature.

When you have assembled your device, warm it up and place a thermometer in the center at the height where the eggs will lie.

From time to time, water should be added to the dried sand. Sand not only humidifies the air in the incubator, but also serves as a heat accumulator.

If the lights are turned off in your home, you can place the incubator in a pan of warm water and cover it with a blanket. This way you won’t have to worry about the safety of your eggs.

You can also place the incubator near the battery, and in the summer take it out into the sun. Every day, spray the eggs with water and turn them 180°.

Making an incubator using polystyrene foam

The frame of the foam egg incubator is made of wooden blocks, and it is lined with plywood inside and out.

Sheets of foam plastic are inserted into the cavity between the layers of plywood. Some poultry farmers cover the wooden frame with tin, and insulate the inside of the incubator with a layer of polystyrene foam.

An axle is inserted through the top wall of the foam structure, onto which the egg tray is attached. The handle of the axis is brought out, and with its help the eggs are turned over.

Trays should be made of dense mesh with cells 2 by 5 cm. Install the thermometer so that its scale looks out. At the bottom of the case there are 4 lamps of 25 W each.

Each lamp must be covered metal sheet 1 mm thick. To do this, place 2 bricks around the lamp and put metal on them.

Place tin baths for water between the lamps.

Give several pieces of copper wire a U-shaped bend and attach them to the baths, and cover them with pieces of fabric on top - this will help increase the evaporation area.

Make about 10 holes in the upper and lower walls of the incubator through which fresh and humidified air will move.

From the refrigerator

Very often, breeders use old refrigerators to build an egg incubator at home. In fact, this is a ready-made home incubator, which only needs to be slightly modified to make the process easier.

The freezer compartment is removed from the refrigerator. In its place are placed 4 lamps of 100 W each. You need to cut a small window in the refrigerator door in order to control the incubation process.

One 25 W lamp is also installed below.

A glass or tin partition is attached above it, on which a tray of water and a piece of wet cloth are placed to increase the amount of evaporation.

The egg tray is placed even higher, and a control thermometer is fixed at the same level. This is the most simple circuit incubator from the refrigerator. But there are also more complex options.

You can make a device with the ability to turn eggs during the process. First make the body more rigid.

To do this, boards are attached to the side walls, which are connected at the bottom by bars. Make recesses in the boards into which bearings are inserted, thanks to which the eggs will be turned.

After this, frames or trays for eggs are installed, a cable is attached to the frames, with the help of which the trays are turned over. The end of the cable is brought out and secured to the engine.

In order for the coup to be carried out correctly, you should prepare drawings of the device in advance and discuss them with a professional.

IN back wall a fan is built in.

Refrigerators have a trough that drains water, this should be set in the reverse direction and the fan will be fed water through it when the chicks begin to hatch.

Automatic incubators

To achieve maximum productivity, eggs must be kept in certain conditions.

The most important thing is to turn the eggs on time and maintain the required temperature, fluctuations of which should be within half a degree.

This is quite difficult, so some poultry farmers use homemade automatic devices with thermostat.

Bimetallic plates, barometric sensors and electrical contactors can act as a thermostat.

Ready-made thermostats can be easily purchased in stores or made yourself.

In addition to thermoregulation, the automation is also responsible for turning the trays over. To do this, you will need a Dream-12 device with a supply voltage of 12 V.

It is also necessary to install a humidity regulator. Computer blocks can be used to provide power.

It is better to buy trays for automatic incubators in a store.

The light bulbs are connected in series, 2 pieces at a time - 2 at the top and 4 at the bottom. Place baths of water at the bottom of the incubator, and an incubator at the top.

When your incubator is ready, you should test its operation for two to three days.

Install desired temperature and try to maintain it throughout the entire time. It is especially important that the eggs are not overheated.

If the eggs remain at a temperature of 41° for at least 10 minutes, the embryos will die. Trays must be turned over 2-3 times a day.

To achieve maximum chick hatching, you need to pay a lot of attention to the selection and storage of eggs in special conditions. Eggs should be stored lying down.

Storage temperature - no higher than 12°. Turn them over from time to time. Eggs with rough or thin shells irregular shape are rejected.

Using an ovoscope, eggs are examined for the presence of two yolks or an overly large air chamber.

Eggs should not be washed before the incubation process, as this will disrupt their natural protection.

Differences between incubators for quail eggs

Many poultry farmers are interested in how to make a quail incubator with their own hands.

To make a homemade quail incubator, the same materials are used as for chicken incubators. The main difference is the size.

A do-it-yourself quail incubator can be two to three times smaller in size than a chicken incubator.

If you make a quail incubator with your own hands at home, you can make it the same size as a chicken incubator, only you can fit three times as many eggs in the trays.

If you decide to breed birds at home, then for this purpose you will need an incubator with polystyrene foam as insulation. It can be used not only for breeding chickens, but also other birds. In this article we will tell you how to make an incubator from polystyrene foam.

What you will need

The first thing you need to do is decide on the number of eggs you plan to raise in a foam incubator. This factor will influence the appearance of the interior of this unit. If more than fifty eggs will be processed at the same time, you will definitely need to install a fan. Its presence is mandatory for uniform heating of the entire area. If you plan to heat a small number of eggs, then installing this additional unit will not be necessary. The main thing is to place the warming devices correctly.

This device consists of the following parts:

• body, with foam insulation;
• heating system;
• trays for placing eggs;
• additional devices for controlling humidity and temperature.

Before starting the assembly process, we recommend making a drawing of the future structure. You can use different materials to make the incubator body. Plywood is perfect for this purpose, chipboard sheets, cardboard boxes, old refrigerator. The main criterion by which the choice of material is made is to ensure proper thermal insulation. You can use felt, foam, batting.

Device

In order to ensure proper ventilation, we make a gap of up to eight centimeters between the wall and the tray. When working with a large incubator, on the foam that is used as insulation, it will also be necessary to make holes so that carbon dioxide can escape through them. A certain distance must also be between the bottom and the floor, as can be seen in the photo.

Heating system

Heating elements can be placed in different places of the incubator relative to the trays:

• above;
• evenly over the entire plane;
• at the bottom.

If you make this unit with your own hands, then the best option would be to install heating from above. It is in this case that the situation of releasing the maximum amount of heat will be achieved. To determine at what distance they need to be installed, you should analyze the power of the heater.

Egg Tray

The easiest and cheapest way is to make an egg tray with your own hands. In this case use wooden boards. The frame can be easily made from metal or nylon mesh, as shown in the video. The cells must be made in such a way that they can easily fit egg. Most convenient option- this is to make a design according to the drawings of a furniture box.

During the operation of the foam incubator, you will need to constantly turn the eggs. If in the future you plan to carry out this process yourself, then before starting it, place a cross on one of the sides of the egg.

If you wish, you can make a device to turn the entire tray over at the same time. To do this, we will make a movable frame without a bottom, with a width of 1-2 mm and a length of 10 cm. Next, the cells need to be fixed on it at a distance of up to 10 cm.

Additional devices

In order for an individual to develop normally, the incubation process must take place taking into account all the conditions necessary for this. Monitoring devices will help us with this.

To determine the humidity in the incubator, the main insulation, which is polystyrene foam, is used in a psychrometer. It is sold at any veterinary pharmacy. You can also make it yourself. To do this, you will need 2 thermometers, which will need to be attached to the board, as seen in the photo. Next, one of them is immersed in a bandage and then in water. Thermometer number two does not need to be immersed in water. Now, to determine how humid the air is, it will be enough to calculate the difference between these two indicators.

To ensure that the temperature in the incubator is constant, it is necessary to install a thermostat. This can be an electronic device with a power of no more than three hundred watts. He will have to keep the temperature within 35-40 degrees. The thermostat must be placed in a plastic base. It must also be equipped with a temperature control device, a sensor and a load indicator. This device will work continuously.

Advantages

Previously, in order to hatch quails, a bucket and a table lamp were enough. Now this method can be considered quite risky. It is better to make the device yourself, because materials such as polystyrene foam, plywood and iron are not very expensive and are widely available.

An incubator made independently has a number of advantages:

• the process of hatching chicks can be year-round, and in no way depend on the season;
• it is possible to always check the process - in real conditions you would not be able to do this;
• the incubator can be easily moved to a place convenient for you;
• low production cost and quick payback.

Let's sum it up

If you make an incubator with polystyrene foam with your own hands, you will get enough cheap way breeding domestic chickens. This unit can be used many times. You can support the resulting offspring yourself, thereby providing yourself and your entire family with healthy nutrition. It will also be very profitable to sell the resulting chicks. That is, a device made from ordinary material can become your home business.

Ravilov V.V.

| 2015-03-17

Let's not reinvent the wheel and discover America, but use the successful experience of our Australian fellow craftsman. He independently, with his own hands, in a matter of hours, made an incubator of small capacity for chickens and made a photo and video report about his research. So, over to Candyman.

I made this incubator from polystyrene sheets and named it Esil Bator, after the hen that laid the eggs for my first egg incubation experience.

I secured the cut-to-size walls of the incubator with adhesive tape to ensure the required strength and tightness.

Fig.1. Styrofoam incubator

Fig.2. The incubator is quite simple

The incubator uses 60-watt incandescent light bulbs as a heating element and another one, I don’t know its power, the markings have worn off.

The temperature in my incubator is controlled using a thermostat industrial production, and the uniform heating of the eggs is ensured by two fans, one of which is installed at an angle of 45 degrees, and the second pumps heated air from the compartment with the lamps to the compartment with the eggs.

The photo below shows a 60-watt light bulb with a reflector.

Fig.3. Top view of the finished incubator

Fig.4. Heating element lamp 60 watt

Second lamp, unknown power

Fig.5. Auxiliary incubator lamp (40 watts, no more)

The main fan, it pumps heated air from the heating compartment to the incubation compartment.

Fig.6. Main incubator fan

Both lamps, in addition to the thermostat, are connected via a dimmer. This simple addition gives me even more control over the temperature since I don't have central heating in my home. When I need to quickly increase the temperature, I turn on the second lamp and make the light brighter.

Fig.7. Dimmer knob

In the incubator, on both sides, I installed containers with water. Firstly, it provides the required air humidity. Secondly, containers in water serve as heat accumulators and ensure uniform heat distribution, complementing the installed fans. I used regular PC fans with a diameter of 80mm.

To monitor the temperature and humidity in the incubator, I used two regular thermometers and one digital thermometer/hygrometer.

Fig.8. Temperature regulators

Fig.9. Thermometers

Fig. 10. Thermometers

Fig. 11. Thermometers

The eggs in my incubator are placed in standard plastic egg trays, which for ease of turning were installed on cardboard rolls with a diameter of 4 cm. Yes, I turned the eggs manually, the incubator is a quick one.

To hatch chickens, I used only fresh eggs. In order not to purchase an ovoscope, the built-in flashlight of the phone was used to candling the eggs.

Fig. 12. Mobile ovoscope

Eggs for 5 days.

Fig. 13. Candling eggs on the 5th day

Fig. 14. Candling eggs on the 5th day

Fig. 15. Candling eggs on the 5th day

On the seventh day, the blood ring became clearly visible.

Fig. 16. Candling eggs on the 7th day

A homemade incubator can be made at home. This is quite easy to do. There have been cases when chickens were hatched even just under the switched on table lamp. But it is preferable to make an incubator according to some rules presented below.

Features of creation

Quite a few poultry farmers use factory-made incubators, which, of course, can be purchased, but it will cost much more than if you make a similar design yourself. The frame of this installation is made using wooden blocks; the outside cladding can be made with plywood. For insulation, it is permissible to use polystyrene foam. Under the ceiling of the chamber in the center you need to place an axis on which the tray intended for eggs should be tightly fixed. On the axis, by means of a steel pin, which must be brought out through the top panel, it will be possible to rotate the tray with eggs. It is recommended to use the following dimensions as the dimensions of the tray: 25 x 40 cm, while the height should be 5 cm. This element can be made using a durable steel mesh, the cells of which have dimensions of 2 x 5 cm, the thickness of the wire should be equal to two millimeters.

The bottom of the tray must be covered with a fine mesh based on nylon. The eggs should be laid vertically, with the blunt end facing up. A control thermometer should be installed above the tray intended for eggs, which will prevent contact between objects and the heating element during rotation. The temperature scale should be brought out through the top panel.

Second stage of work

A homemade incubator at the bottom of the case should have four lamps, the power of which is 25 watts each. Each pair of lamps can be protected with a steel sheet, the thickness of which is 1 millimeter. Their installation must be done on two red bricks. In order to ensure the required level of humidity, a water bath must be installed, its size is 10 x 20 x 5 cm. It can be based on steel. U-shaped tapes made of copper wire should be attached to the bath; fabric should be hung on them, which will significantly increase the evaporation surface. At the next stage, you can start working on the ceiling of the chamber, in which about ten holes are drilled, each with a diameter of 30 mm. When making a homemade incubator, you need to make twelve similar holes in the lower part of it. This system will provide access to fresh air.

Features of manufacturing the incubator body

The base of the case may be an old refrigerator. Such a chamber is already insulated, which eliminates the need to carry out work on its compaction. It will be necessary to supplement the structure with legs to provide it with more impressive rigidity; two boards need to be fastened to the body; in the lower part they must be connected with bars; screws can be used as a fastening element.

It is recommended to make a recess in the board for flanges. A bearing is installed in the central part. To prevent the axle from moving, you need to install a threaded bushing. Fastening is done using long screws to the axle. The frames must consist of two elements, each of which has projections necessary to hold the trays in the position in which they were installed.

When making a homemade incubator, you need to thread a cable into the top hole, which is fixed to the engine. The inside of the housing should be lined with insulation, which can be fiberglass. Sections of plastic tubes must be installed in all ventilation holes. Refrigerators have a gutter for water drainage; when making this design, it must be mounted in the opposite direction.

Features of compaction

Homemade incubators, created with your own hands, are quite often made using wooden blocks; the outside of them must be sheathed with sheet steel, while the inside of the structure must be insulated with polystyrene foam; other insulating material can also be used.

Heating system

It is important to position the heating elements in the structure correctly. If you make the installation yourself, then this work can be done in different ways: from the side, from above, under the egg, above it or around the perimeter. The distance from the heating element will depend on the type of heater. If light bulbs are used, the distance to the eggs should be 25 centimeters, but not less. If nichrome wire is used, then ten centimeters will be enough. It is necessary to exclude the occurrence of drafts, otherwise the brood will die.

Thermostat

Do-it-yourself homemade incubators are made to ensure a certain temperature regime, which must be maintained within half a degree. You can use bimetallic plates, barometric sensors, and electrical contactors as a heat regulator.

Comparison of homemade thermostats

An electrical contactor is a mercury thermometer with an electrode installed in the tube. The second electrode is a column of mercury. During the heating stage, mercury begins to move through the glass tube, reaching the electrode, which closes the electrical circuit. This becomes a signal to turn off the heating. If we talk about a metal plate, it is considered the cheapest, but also the most unreliable method. Its fundamental effect is that when heated, the plate begins to bend and touches the second electrode, thereby closing the circuit.

A homemade thermostat for an incubator can be a barometric sensor, which is made in the form of a cylinder made of elastic steel, its height is less than its diameter, and it is also filled with ether. One of the electrodes is a cylinder, while the other cylinder is a screw fixed near the bottom. Ether vapors increase pressure during the heating process, and the bottom begins to bend. This completes the circuit and turns off the heating element. The thermostat can also be purchased at the store.

Humidity control

A homemade refrigerator incubator must be equipped with a humidity controller; for this it is recommended to use a psychrometer, which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy or hardware store. As alternative solution You can make a humidity controller using two thermometers, which should be mounted on one board. The nose part of one thermometer should be wrapped in a sterile medical bandage, which is secured in three layers, the other end should be lowered into a container filled with distilled water. The second thermometer should remain dry. Based on the difference in the readings of these thermometers, you can determine the level of humidity inside, thus, a homemade automatic incubator can even be compared with one purchased in a store.

Incubation mode

Immediately before incubation begins, the system must be analyzed for reliability for three days, during which it is necessary to try to set the required temperature. It is especially important to ensure that there is no overheating, this is due to the fact that the embryo dies if it is exposed to a temperature of 41 degrees for ten minutes. It is necessary to take into account that an industrial incubator works on the principle of turning eggs every two hours, but it will be enough to perform this procedure about three times a day.

In order to increase the hatchability rate, you need to ensure proper storage of eggs. This must be done in a horizontal position, and they will need to be turned over periodically; the external conditions must be special, so the temperature should not be higher than twelve degrees, while the humidity should not be more than 80 percent. An egg should not be used if it is damaged, its surface is uneven or rough, or its shape is irregular. When using an ovoscope, it is necessary to exclude the use of eggs that have two yolks, in addition, eggs that have a large air chamber should not be used.

Homemade incubators, the drawings of which must be studied before starting work, must be used correctly. Before placing an egg in the incubator, do not wash it, as this will damage the outer shell, which has certain properties. Eggs that are too large should also not be used for incubation. You need to start monitoring the process after the eggs have been inside the cubicle for five days; you need to use the same ovoscope for this.

Different temperature conditions for different bird species

A homemade foam incubator should work in different temperature conditions for different types of birds. For example, a chicken egg must be kept at a temperature of 39 degrees for two days, from the 3rd to the 18th day the temperature must be maintained at 38.5 degrees, from the 19th to the 21st day the temperature must be maintained at 37.5 degrees. As for the duck egg, from the 1st to the 12th day the temperature should be maintained within 37.7 degrees, from the 13th to 24th day - 37.4 degrees, but from the 25th to 28th day, this indicator should be at around 37.2 degrees.

Before you make a homemade incubator, you need to prepare the materials and choose the best ones. To carry out work, you can use not only a camera, but also a box and a suitable box. The product can be based not only on wood, but also on plastic and cardboard. Sheathing can be done not only with plywood, but also with fairly thick paper.

In order to prevent heat loss, all cracks must be sealed with sealant. Trays can be made of planed boards, the height of the sides should be equal to seventy millimeters. The entire structure should resemble a whatnot. In order to heat the installation, you can use five light bulbs, one of which can be installed from below, which will ensure even heat distribution.

The thermometer should never be removed from the unit; this will allow you to monitor the conditions in the incubator. An observation window must be provided in the upper part; it is necessary in order to additionally control the egg. During the work, an incubator diagram will be needed. A homemade incubator will be made using the drawing correctly. Good luck!

Knowing how to make an incubator with your own hands, you can save a lot when creating your own poultry farm. After all professional equipment it costs expensive. And in terms of efficiency, homemade incubators are not much inferior to industrial ones.

What is an incubator for?

An incubator is an insulated container in which a certain atmosphere is maintained. Since ancient times, such devices have replaced hens in the farm. The fact is that the natural process of hatching eggs is associated with a number of problems. They do not greatly affect the result when we're talking about about housekeeping. But if bird breeding is planned on a larger scale, brood hens will not be able to compete with incubators because:

• 1 chicken can hatch no more than 15 eggs at a time;
• most chickens create nests only in the spring;
• when the chicken leaves to feed, the clutch cools down;
• the bird may get sick, which will lead to a change in temperature in the nest;
• the hen may become frightened or tired and abandon the clutch.

A modern incubator, even one made with your own hands at home, allows you to fully automate the process of breeding birds and, as a result, without much effort, get exactly as many chickens as intended, and without seasonal restrictions.

Advantages of homemade incubators

By planning to create your own egg incubator, you will save money for other investments. After all, it is possible to assemble such a device from waste materials.

Besides, self-production the device will allow you to act in accordance with your needs. A purchased structure may be too large for the farm and will work in vain, absorbing excess resources. A device with insufficient dimensions will not allow a person’s plan to be fully realized. Homemade apparatus turns him into a master of the situation: he can create an incubator for 1000 eggs or several dozen.

Another important factor is the external dimensions and shape of the device. When making a home incubator with your own hands, you can take into account in advance the features of the place in which it will be located.

How to make an incubator (video)

When creating a device for raising chickens with your own hands, you need to remember the basic rules. It is recommended to use the following tips:

1. Make drawings of the device to determine exactly where the trays and lamps will be located and how many there will be. Remember that the lamps should be no closer than 15 cm from the eggs.
2. The selected container must be insulated on all sides, creating the effect of a thermos that retains heat inside.
3. The structure must be raised above the floor, especially if the covering is cold.
4. Do not place eggs close to each other. It is better to place each egg at a distance of 1-2 cm from the other.
5. Inside large capacity It is necessary to provide a place for dishes with water, which will help regulate the humidity level.
6. It is imperative to create ventilation (natural or forced).
7. Each light bulb made to heat the incubator should have a separate switch: this will make it easier to change the temperature regime.
8. To make it more convenient to monitor the atmosphere inside the incubator, it is necessary to install instruments for measuring temperature and humidity.

These are the basic parameters that must be observed when creating any device for breeding birds, for example, such as a homemade incubator from a refrigerator.

New life for an old refrigerator

A broken or simply old refrigerator that is no longer used for its intended purpose is excellent for raising birds. Its use makes it possible not to carry out separate manipulations to insulate the housing, because the walls of the unit were initially created in such a way as to preserve the internal atmosphere from sudden fluctuations in temperature and humidity levels. Each shelf can successfully replace an incubator tray, and a vegetable tray filled with water will serve as a humidifier. Remember that humidity is just as important as temperature. It is necessary to monitor it from the first minutes the egg is in the incubator until the moment the chicken hatches.

To understand how to make an incubator from a refrigerator, you must first completely empty it of everything that is in it, including freezer, if it is built-in. An incubator diagram drawn up in accordance with the size of the refrigerator will not be superfluous. Next, you need to provide your bird breeding apparatus with everything you need: incandescent lamps, dishes with water, a thermostat, etc.

For ventilation, drill through holes: 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom, closer to the bottom of the refrigerator. Insert tubes into the holes that can be closed with plugs to adjust the level of ventilation. For better air circulation, it is also possible to install fans near the lamps and at the bottom of the container.

During the hatching process, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the eggs. In order not to constantly open the refrigerator and not disturb the internal atmosphere, it is recommended to cut a window in the door and seal it with glass or transparent plastic, treating the cracks with sealant.

Simple DIY home incubator (video)

Swivel mechanism

When making an incubator from a refrigerator with your own hands, you should pay attention to such an element as the rotating mechanism. In nature, hens hatching eggs turn them with their paws from time to time. This is necessary so that the embryo inside warms up evenly and does not stick to the shell. In a home device, you can turn the eggs manually. This must be done 2 to 4 times a day. Such interference will constantly disrupt the created balance of temperature and humidity.

The best solution There will be an automatic turning of the eggs in the incubator. The simplest mechanism involves changing the inclination of the trays, due to which the position of the embryos will change.

To create such a mechanism, you need to install a wooden frame inside the refrigerator. The trays are attached to it so that they can tilt 60° to one side or the other. A gearbox is installed at the bottom of the container. A rod is attached to the motor, which is also connected to the trays. The motor will drive the rod, which will tilt the trays.

If there is no refrigerator

Fridge - convenient thing for an incubator device, but not the only one. A home bird breeding device can be made from an old TV, from large boxes and crates. A good option There will be a homemade incubator made of polystyrene foam. Such a device is easy to make, it is light in weight and will hold heat well. In this case, you can use the foam left over from the packaging home appliances, which makes this option the cheapest to manufacture.

When you start making a foam incubator with your own hands, the first thing you need to do is select a piece that will serve as the bottom and attach it to the boards. This will make the structure stronger and raise it above the floor. It is better if the boards are located at the edges and do not occupy more than half the area of ​​the foam. Make 2-3 holes for ventilation. It is convenient to burn through the foam with a soldering iron, as otherwise it will crumble a lot. Place water containers at the bottom so that they do not block the ventilation holes.

The boards on which the bottom was glued will also serve as the basis for attaching the tray. In this capacity you can use ready mesh or grate. If you are assembling an incubator with automatic egg turning, select the desired height for installing the tray and provide space for the gearbox. Attach the temperature sensor to the tray.

Attach a thermostat to a piece of foam plastic that will serve as a cover, glue lamp sockets, and a fan. If desired, create a viewing window by covering it with glass or clear plastic. All that remains is to glue the walls to the bottom - and the first house for chickens is ready.