The cheapest chicken incubators aren’t especially expensive, starting at only around $50, but if you’re the kind of person who likes to make everything yourself, you might think you can build one for even less – and it’s certainly quite possible.
So for anyone who’s interested in trying, in this post, we have all the info you need about how to make a chicken incubator to help you build a functional yet budget-friendly incubator of your own. solar eggs incubator
How to Make a Chicken Incubator?
Now we know what we’re building, let’s move on to the details of the materials you’ll need and how to put the chicken incubator together. Also, If you want an easy work, you can chose to buy one online, this website is top source for high-quality chicken incubator and hatching supplies. it offers a wide selection of incubators to fit any budget and hatching need, from small tabletop models to large capacity incubators.
But you want to enjoy the fun of DIY, let’s continue.
Tools Needed to make Chicken Incubator
· Container – for example, a Styrofoam cooler
· Light bulb for heat
· Duct tape
· Chicken mesh or similar
· Thermometer
· Hygrometer
· Thermostat (recommended)
· Dimmer switch (optional)
· Bowls or other water containers
· Sponges
· Glass panel
DIY Homemade Chicken Incubator (Step-by-step guide)Step 1. Choose the container
The first thing you need to do is choose which kind of container you’re going to use, and there are several options.
The cheapest option is simply to use a cardboard box, which, when done properly, can work well.
Other possibilities you could use include a plastic cooler, which has the advantage of being insulated, and we’ve even heard of people using an old fish tank.
However, perhaps the easiest option is to choose a Styrofoam cooler since they are very cheap, offer insulation to keep the eggs warm and are also easy to work with.
This means the first thing you need to do is find a suitable Styrofoam cooler or bait box of the size you require – or choose another option if you don’t have that available.
Step 2. Add a heat source
The next step is to add a heat source, and the easiest way to do this is to use a light bulb.
To fit a light bulb, simply cut a hole at the top of one of the narrow sides of the cooler and push through a light socket that will hold a 25-watt bulb.
You should then use duct tape to hold it in place inside and outside of the cooler. This is especially important since as well as holding the light in place, it will also protect the side of the cooler from the heat and help prevent fires.
Next, take some chicken mesh or something similar and fix it inside the cooler to partition the space so that the chicks won’t be able to burn themselves on the lightbulb after they hatch.
Step 3. Measuring the temperature and humidity
Since it’s vital to keep the temperature and humidity levels within strict parameters, it’s essential for you to be able to measure them both accurately.
The simplest way to do this is to fit a digital thermometer and hygrometer inside the chicken incubator to allow you to take measurements of the temperature and humidity inside.
However, a better option is to use a combined thermometer and hygrometer with a sensor that can be placed inside the chicken incubator but with a digital readout that can be attached to the outside. If you can use one like this, it will make it much quicker and easier to read.
However, if you don’t have one of these or don’t want to buy one, you can just use any thermometer and hygrometer you have available instead.
While measuring the temperature inside the chicken incubator is relatively easy, the hard part is being able to control it accurately, and here you have a couple of options.
The first possibility is simply to cut some holes to create air vents in the sides of the container.
Your chicken incubator needs to have some air vents anyway since chicks in eggs need to breathe, and if there is no airflow, they will suffocate before they are born.
However, if you incorporate air vents that you can open or close, it will give you a degree of control over the temperature inside.
Another way to control the temperature is just to switch off the light when it gets too hot and then switch it back on again when the temperature starts to drop.
Unfortunately, this method would mean you have to be on hand to monitor the temperature constantly, so it isn’t practical.
A better option would be to use a lightbulb with a dimmer switch. This way, you could fine-tune the temperature and then leave it when you find the right temperature – then you only need to adjust it if the temperature changes.
The best option, though, is to incorporate a thermostat that’s connected to the light. This way, when the temperature drops, the thermostat can automatically activate the light, and when the temperature rises, it can turn it off.
That will mean you don’t need to monitor the temperature so closely in person and can just check in to take readings from time to time to ensure that everything is in order.
The humidity levels don’t need to be controlled as strictly as the temperature, but you need to keep them steady and as close to the recommended parameters as possible, and the best way to do this is just to use bowls of water.
Start by placing one large bowl of water in the chicken incubator and testing the amount of humidity it creates – and then simply add more bowls of water or remove some of the water accordingly to achieve the desired level of humidity.
When you get to day 18, you’ll need to add some extra water to increase the humidity levels, and adding extra bowls of water will require extra space, so make sure you take this into account when deciding the size of the container you use for the chicken incubator.
To prevent the chicks from drowning once they are born and also to help keep the humidity levels more constant, it’s recommended that you put sponges into the bowls of water.
The sponges will soak up the water and then release it gradually, and there also won’t be any dangerous bowls of water in the chicken incubator for newborn chicks to fall into.
Step 6. Fit viewing window (optional)
You may also choose to cut a hole in the top of the cooler and fit a glass panel of the kind you find in picture frames. This is not essential, but it will allow you to see into the chicken incubator without removing the lid each time.
Step 7. Test your setup for several days before you put in the eggs
Once you have your chicken incubator ready, it’s highly advisable to switch it on at least two or three days before you put any eggs in it so you can check its performance.
You should see how accurately you can measure and control the temperature and humidity levels and also how steady they remain.
It’s also a good idea to put in a second thermometer and hygrometer to check the accuracy of the ones you are using – because if they aren’t accurate, you won’t be able to provide the right temperature and humidity levels for your eggs to develop properly.
If, after testing, you find the temperature and humidity are too hard to control or if they fluctuate too much, you might want to consider holding back on putting eggs in there – otherwise, you risk suffering a low success rate on hatching day.
This way, you can fine-tune the chicken incubator to give your eggs the best chance of making it through the incubation period and producing a healthy chick at the end of it all.
How to incubate chicken eggs – an overview
Before we talk about how to build a DIY chicken incubator, we need to say a few words about how to incubate chicken eggs and the requirements we have of any chicken incubator we build since this will give us a better idea of what we’re aiming at.
When hens sit their eggs, they provide the perfect conditions for the eggs to develop in terms of heat and humidity while also constantly moving them about, which is essential to ensure the embryo inside doesn’t stick to the side of the shell.
However, when we incubate eggs ourselves without the help of a broody hen, we are responsible for maintaining the temperature and humidity conditions as well as for turning the eggs.
The acceptable temperature range for incubating eggs is 99-101°F, with the sweet spot at around 99.5°F, so any chicken incubator we build needs to allow us to set, monitor and maintain these precise temperatures.
In terms of humidity, you need to be able to maintain a level of around 45-55% for the first 17 days and then about 60-65% from day 18 until the chicks hatch.
This means you also need an chicken incubator that will allow you to monitor the humidity and adjust it according to the stage of development.
Some chicken incubators also incorporate automatic egg turners, and this is something you can add – although it’s not something we’re going to cover in this post.
Understand the needs of an egg before starting your build
The key to creating a functional DIY chicken incubator is understanding the requirements an egg has in terms of temperature and humidity before you start building.
Then, once you understand what chickens’ eggs need to develop correctly, you can start building an chicken incubator that meets these requirements, giving you the best chances of using it to hatch chicks with a high rate of success.
Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
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