DIY Incubator

Building a DIY incubator is a pretty simple way to become a little more self sufficient without spending a lot of money. If purchasing one, there are plenty of models widely available. However if you are a little frugal and dislike wasting things, here are a couple simple builds to help you hatch your eggs!

DIY Incubator Supplies Required

• extension cord
• thermostat controlled switch or lower water heater thermostat
• light and bulb
• computer fan
• old phone charger
• external thermostat / hygrometer
• cooler
• tucktape
• knife

When building your diy incubator , you will need a way to visually confirm your temperature and humidity within the cooler. A piece will need to be removed, usually on the top that can be replaced with something clear so you can view the temperature and humidity without disturbing your eggs during lockdown. Once the hole is created and covered up with clear plastic or plexiglass you need to ensure its sealed up pretty tight. Tuck tape works amazing for so many applications! Depending on your supplies, the layout of your incubator will vary. Some lights can mount to the top while other coolers have removable tops so a side mounted light works better. Lucky for you, I will show you both!

The computer fan build is as simple as removing the end of the fan connection and the phone chargers , exposing the wires and attaching one wire to another with wire connectors and electricians tape.

DIY Incubator Light Build

The light build is a step more but still quite simple. For the electrical aspect, one must add two wires to the thermostat control if it isn’t supplied. One wire from the thermostat connects to the power supply (extension cord) and the other to the light source. The remaining power supply wire connects directly to the light. The thermostat now controls the power supplied to the light. When mounting your thermostat, ensure the dial is accessible from outside the incubator. Use the temperature adjustment gauge or dial to reach your desired temperature. (35-37.5 celcius) Place external thermostat in your incubator and within view of your window to confirm your internal temperature.

Functionality

Both thermostats functionally work well at keeping the temperature pretty stable once set. The water heater thermostat ($25 CAD) allows about two degrees Celcius fluctuation in your temperature. Meaning once you have your light activating at 35 Celcius it should stop around 37 degrees celcius. The heater switch thermostat seems to hold a more constant temperature with very little to no fluctuation. So if you are purchasing parts, the heater switch would be my personal choice.

Humidity Control

Increasing the humidity within your incubator is as simple as adding a jar of water. As long as you have a fully sealed unit. Some builds will require a weight or latch to keep a solid seal.

1.Ensure any holes or seals are fully sealed. *adding weight to the top of my incubators helped to complete the seal.

2.Add container of water tall enough so the hatched chicks cant fall into it accidentally. I like to place my fan on the top of the jar .

3.Drill a few venting holes to allow release of humidity when required, and seal with tape.

This is by far the most important step in my opinion. When setting up your incubator up to its temperature add containers of water or remove tape from venting holes to achieve desired humidity prior to introducing your hatching eggs. Fluctuating temperatures above 40 Celcius can render your eggs unusable. Temperatures above 38 Celcius development issues arise, so my target max temperature is 37.5 Celcius upon set up of my incubators.

Happy Hatching!!!