We make an egg incubator with our own hands. How to make an incubator with your own hands: step-by-step instructions Homemade rotating mechanism for an incubator

Hello. Finally finished working on the egg tray turning mechanism for the incubator. All engine management duties of this device, the formation of time intervals is assigned to the microcontroller DD1 PIC12F675. As actuator A ready-made gearbox with a D5-TR engine was used. The connection diagram for the windings of this motor is discussed in the article “”. The diagram of the turning mechanism control unit is shown in Figure 1.

This is a completely completed independent unit, which allows its use in any incubator designs; in my case, it is designed to operate an incubator powered by a 12V voltage, which makes it possible in emergency situations to use a car battery to power the incubator.

The scheme works as follows. When you turn it on for the first time, even if the tray is in an intermediate position, the program will determine that none of the end contacts are open (the end contacts in this circuit work to open) and will move the tray to the position corresponding to the open contact SA1. In this case, the countdown of the time interval of two hours begins immediately. Some visitors will immediately ask why two. Because I couldn’t find anything specific about this period of time anywhere. Near my place of residence there is a farm that breeds chickens, turkeys, quails, geese, ducks and guinea fowl. I asked the poultry farmer of this enterprise about this issue, he said that there are no specific and strict time limits. In short, two and that's it. After two hours, the controller will give a command and the motor will move the tray with eggs to another position when the limit switch SA2 opens. The tray can be moved to the opposite position using the SB1 button. In this case, all time counter data in the controller program is reset, and a new time counting begins. The circuit includes an indicator LED HL2, which begins to light thirty seconds before the tray begins to move. The HL1 LED indicates the presence of 5V voltage. End contacts SB2 and SB3 are additional redundant contacts that de-energize the entire unit in the event of a program failure or a malfunction in the circuit. This is especially true if the connection between the tray and the gearbox is rigid and the motor is powerful. Optotransistors can be used as end contacts, and duplicate contacts can be completely removed from the circuit if a power supply with trigger protection against excess load current is used to power this device. The supply voltage of the D5-TR motor is 24... 27 V, but in this case, to rotate one tray and the existing double worm gear, 12 V is enough for power. If necessary, the voltage can be increased using a DC-DC converter. The diagram and description of such a converter can be found in the article “”. This is a typical boost voltage regulator circuit taken from the documentation for the UC3843 chip. The appearance of the device is shown in photo 1.

All parts, except contacts SA1, SA2, capacitors C6, C7 and diodes VD1, VD2, are installed on printed circuit board, picture below. Diodes 1N4002 or our KD208.

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 needs to be covered 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, 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. Making homemade incubator, in its lower part you need to make the same holes in the amount of twelve pieces. This system will provide access to fresh air.

Features of manufacturing the incubator body

The base of the body may be 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. In everything ventilation holes you need to install pieces of plastic tubes. 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 heating elements the design is correct. 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 speak about metal plate, then 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 heating, 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. An alternative solution is to 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 percentage, it is necessary to ensure proper storage eggs This must be done in a horizontal position, and they will need to be turned over periodically, external conditions must be special, thus 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, it should not be washed, 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 must operate in different temperature conditions to different types birds. For example, a chicken egg should be kept at a temperature of 39 degrees for two days, from the 3rd to the 18th day the temperature should be maintained at 38.5 degrees, from the 19th to the 21st day the temperature should 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!

Homemade incubators use several types of automatic trays for turning eggs, which are divided into two types. The device can turn eggs one at a time, or in tiers. The first type turned out to be ineffective and is used only in small incubators for 5 - 20 eggs. Trays of the second type have proven themselves well in both industrial and home-made devices.

To ensure that the embryos develop and warm up evenly, the eggs must be turned every 2-4 hours. Very often used in small incubators manual method revolution, and in machines designed for 50 or more eggs it is optimal to use automatic system coup. It is divided into two types: frame and inclined.

Each type of tray has its own pros and cons. Frame rotation consumes less energy, and the rotation mechanism is very easy to operate. Another advantage: can be used in small incubators. Disadvantages include the influence of the shift step on the radius of rotation of the egg. If the frame is low, the eggs may hit each other. Eggs can also be damaged by sudden movements of the frames.

The inclined tray ensures guaranteed rotation at a given angle, regardless of the size of the eggs.

The horizontal movement of the trays along the guides reduces the level of egg damage by 75-85%. The disadvantages include more complex maintenance and high energy consumption. The design is heavier, which is not always convenient for use in small incubation machines.

Frame swing system

The incubator tray is suitable for those who use lightweight models made of foam or plywood. To make a machine for 200 eggs, you will need:

  • Gearmotor,
  • Galvanized profile,
  • Boxes of fruits or vegetables,
  • Angle made of steel and rods,
  • Clamps with bearings,
  • Sprocket with chain,
  • Fastening materials.

How to make a tray: the base is welded first from the corner. Its dimensions are selected individually, depending on the number of trays and dimensions of the home incubator. The turning device is assembled from a pair of axes to which the first and last tray are attached. The rest are hung on the rods themselves. From the edges of the corner, a platform is made for landing the bearings, which is welded on both sides on the axle.

The frame itself is made of aluminum corner - it is lighter. If vegetable boxes are used as trays, then the frame size will be 30.5 * 40.5 cm. If the trays are homemade, then the size is adjusted to fit them + 0.5 cm for free entry. Pros of vegetable boxes: accessibility and durability. Cons: poor ventilation. Homemade trays can be made from a metal mesh with a rod thickness of 1.5 mm and a cross-section equal to the size of an egg. The finished frame is placed on an axis, in which several holes are drilled for fastening. To prevent rust, it is recommended to paint the structure.

The axle is welded to the frame through a bearing, which is tightened with a clamp for strength. A mount for the gearbox is mounted to the left of the base. The first and last frames are connected by rods, the rest are hung between them every 15 cm. To ensure reliable fastening, it is recommended to lock the nuts.

The trays are driven either chain drive, or using a pin.

Which method to choose depends on the gearmotor used, but usually homemade devices ah, chain transmission is used.

On a piece of plastic at the bottom of the frame, switches are installed that stop the gear motor when the trays are tilted at an angle of 45°. More detailed diagrams and drawings can be found on thematic forums - this will help to understand the features of fastening and connecting nodes.

A regular relay can be used together with the control unit. It will have to be modified a little: three wires are brought out, and the tracks leading to the contacts are cut. The unit is programmed to turn on every 2.5-3.5 hours. Two toggle switches are connected to the relay: without fixation and with fixation. The first one is used to manually move the frames to a horizontal position, and the second one is used to switch them to automatic operation mode.

The power source for the flip mechanism is a pair of power supplies from a personal computer.

Depending on the size of the incubator and the number of trays, additional heating elements are installed on one or more frames. In a larger space, this will provide additional control over temperature and humidity. A small fan is also attached to the frame, which will provide ventilation. Lack of ventilation can lead to the death of up to 50% of the brood, as favorable conditions are created for the development of pathogenic bacteria.

Tilt turning system

You can automate the rotation of trays in a home incubator using a built-in electromechanical drive, which operates after a specified period of time. Usually the timer is set for 2.5 - 3 hours. A time relay is responsible for accuracy. You can buy it, or you can make it from a mechanical or electronic watch.

The rotation mechanism for the incubator can be made from a clock with an electromechanical relay. There is usually a socket on the case where you can connect the consumer. Place time intervals on the dial. The engine will transmit torque through the gearbox.

The egg trays in the incubator rotate along guides, which are the walls of the chamber. The design can be improved by attaching a metal strip longer than the grille to the axis. The axis itself is inserted into grooves cut on the sides of each tray.

In order for the grid to move, a working unit is assembled from a rod, a gearbox, a crank element and a motor. For this model, a motor from car wipers or microwave oven. As a battery, you can use a computer power supply or attach a cord to connect to an outlet.

The device works like this: electrical circuit closes using a relay after a specified period of time.

The mechanism comes into action and turns the eggs in the tray until they come into contact with the end position stops. The frame is fixed until the working cycle is repeated.

Inclined tray for 50 eggs

The main part is an aluminum base, with holes drilled in it for better air circulation. The maximum diameter is 1 cm. The sides are made of laminate. A cut is made to the middle in increments of 5 cm, through which a mesh of twine is woven to hold the eggs.

For smaller eggs, you can make a grid in increments of 2.5 or 3 cm. A DAN2N electric drive is used to rotate the axis. It is usually used for ventilation in pipes. The drive power is enough to slowly tilt the tray by 45°. The change of position is controlled by a timer, which opens and closes the contacts every 2.5-3 hours.

It will be difficult for a novice chicken breeder to manage at home without an incubator. Today there are many options on sale, both expensive automatic and modern devices, and low-budget mechanical ones. But if you like to make something from scrap materials with your own hands, then you can try making an egg incubator yourself. It may not be very “fashionable”, “sophisticated” with automation, but with the right approach you can always warm eggs in it at home.

Polystyrene foam is not only lightweight and practical, but also very available material in all respects. Yes, it is not entirely durable, but it can be quite useful for making a simple incubator for your home with your own hands. In this case, you will need a little time, few materials and a little patience and skill. It is well suited for home and can be made with your own hands, even with automatic revolution eggs True, in this case it is no longer possible to do without automation and some devices.

Tools and materials

  • Foam sheets;
  • carton boxes;
  • adhesive tape;
  • incandescent light bulbs (60 Watt) and chambers;
  • industrial thermostat;
  • two computer fans (80 mm in diameter);
  • water containers;
  • thermometer;
  • plastic trays for chicken eggs;
  • additional tools as needed.

Step-by-step instruction

  1. Making an incubator at home from polystyrene foam and other available materials begins with a drawing. You can use any available photo, and also draw it yourself.
  2. According to the drawing, we cut out the necessary blanks from foam sheets and use adhesive tape to tightly fasten them around the perimeter. It should look like a regular box, like in the photo.
  3. The next step in making an incubator at home with your own hands will be wiring electricity. Of course, there is no way to do without this, because the light bulbs need to work, at a minimum, and preferably a thermostat. We make a circuit according to our drawing and draw the wires.
  4. Then, for greater strength and convenience, the inner and outer walls are covered with either plywood or ordinary thick cardboard from any box. All this can be easily done with sticky tape.
  5. We make holes in the cardboard for chambers for light bulbs according to the diagram and drawing, and also insert axles for attaching the trays.
  6. It would be convenient to cut out on the roof of our structure small space and cover it with transparent plastic. This is for the viewing window.
  7. According to the diagram and drawing, we place two fans in the incubator: one at an angle of 45 degrees, the second exactly near the lamp.
  8. We install water containers on both sides of the bottom.
  9. We screw in the light bulbs, connect the thermostat, and install plastic trays for chicken eggs on cardboard rolls with a diameter of 4 cm.
  10. That's it. Everything is ready. All that remains is to connect everything to the power supply, check the operation, place a thermometer inside and you can start the process of incubating eggs at home.

Automatic incubator

All even the most inexperienced poultry farmers know that for proper and successful incubation, eggs must be rotated periodically. Of course, this can be done manually. But, firstly, you will always violate in this way temperature regime, opening the incubator. Secondly, if you don’t open it, but do it mechanically, then it’s quite inconvenient. You need to be at home all the time so as not to miss the next moment of revolution. Therefore, it is much more profitable to make an automatic incubator at home with turning trays.

Tools and materials

  • Wooden blocks, plywood;
  • foam sheet;
  • egg tray;
  • mesh 6×2 cm;
  • 4 lamps with a power of 25 W;
  • metal plates;
  • water baths;
  • electric motor with worm gear or a servo-drive voltage stabilizer motor (you can take a device for incubators APL-1 or APL-2, Mechta 12);
  • tools as needed (hammer, screws, drill, etc.).

Ready-made kit for an automatic incubator with trays and a motor

Step-by-step instruction


Photo gallery

Photo 1. DIY eggs in an incubator

If you have certain materials, you can make an incubator yourself. However, successful incubation of eggs depends on a number of factors, and in order not to spoil them at the very first laying, it is important to anticipate all possible issues in the operation of the manufactured structure. Let's consider one of the popular options for creating such a device.

Characteristics of incubators with automatic egg turning

In addition to incubators with “manual” or semi-automatic egg turning, there are automatic incubators that minimize human intervention in the process of hatching chicks. According to the time set by the owner, the automation itself performs the required revolution, and the eggs do not lie in one place.

Such machines can be built at home, but first of all, it is important to take into account all its possible pros and cons.

Advantages

  • Undeniable advantages homemade apparatus The following features can be considered:
  • low cost compared to ready-made purchased models;
  • economical in terms of energy consumption;
  • independent selection of the required internal volume, depending on the personal needs of each farmer;
  • high maintainability (if any part fails, the technician can always replace it without outside help);
  • versatility (if the structure is properly assembled, a homemade incubator can be used not only for breeding chickens, but also for breeding chicks of other domestic or even exotic birds).

In addition, if the components for the future device can be found at home, then you will get the finished incubator completely free of charge.

Flaws

This group of characteristics mostly includes disadvantages associated with inaccurate calculations and the use of old materials.

  • Therefore, the possible disadvantages of homemade devices are as follows:
  • the possibility of failure of some part of the device (especially if the incubator is made of old technology);
  • independent increase in temperature or power outages, which leads to the death of embryos;
  • unattractive appearance;
  • lack of a warranty from the manufacturer that allows you to replace the device if it breaks.

Requirements for homemade automatic incubators

Without knowledge technical specifications incubation, not a single assembled incubator can provide good productivity, therefore, before starting work, it is worth considering some requirements for automatic designs:

  • incubation of eggs takes at least 21 days, which means that the incubator must work exactly that long (without interruption);
  • eggs should be placed inside the device at a distance of at least 1 cm from each other, which is important to consider when choosing a specific tray;
  • along with the change in the stage of embryo development, the temperature inside the incubator should also change;
  • automatic egg turning should be performed slowly, twice a day;
  • to maintain optimal levels of humidity and ventilation, in homemade mechanism a regulator must be provided required parameters(thermostat, as well as sensors scanning temperature and humidity levels).

Important!To use a homemade incubator for breeding different types of poultry, it is useful to purchase a ready-made universal tray that ensures timely turning of their eggs.

How to make an automatic egg incubator with your own hands

If you are going to create an incubator yourself, then one of the good solutions is to use an old refrigerator. Of course, it will have to be completed and the consumables selected correctly.
To do this, you need to make sure that the finished structure:

  • had holes for ventilation and maintaining humidity at a level of 40–60% (drilled in the body, after which tubes are placed in them to protect against interaction of air with glass wool);
  • provided for the regulation and maintenance of temperature indicators;
  • ensured the ventilation speed of eggs was 5 m/s;
  • guaranteed timely egg turning.

However, all this will be calculated during the actual collection, and first you should correctly calculate the size of the device and select all consumables.

How to calculate the size?

The dimensions of the finished homemade incubator will directly affect the number of eggs for one laying, so if it is important for you to get as many chicks as possible at a time, then we suggest focusing on the following approximate values:

Concerning external dimensions devices, they depend on the chosen material, because, for example, foam plastic will be more voluminous than cardboard. In addition, when manufacturing structures with several floors, completely different technologies will be used, which means that calculations will be made taking into account the parameters of each tier.

The size of the incubator will also be affected by:

  • type of heating system;
  • placement of lamps;
  • placement of trays.

In order not to make mistakes in calculations when designing an incubator, it is important to adhere to a pre-designed diagram, which for a small device for 45 eggs can look like this:

Consumables and tools for work

The design of an incubator has much in common with the design of a refrigerator, which will make a good case: the walls refrigeration equipment They retain heat well, and you can use existing shelves as shelving.

Did you know? In Russia, the first mass production of incubators dates back to beginning of the 19th century centuries, and the volumes of such machines were very impressive: 16–24 thousand eggs could be placed in them at a time.

Main list necessary tools and materials will look like this:

  • old refrigerator (you can use it yourself) old model, but intact and working);
  • 25 W light bulbs (4 pcs.);
  • fan;
  • metal rod or chain with sprocket;
  • a drive that ensures the eggs are turned over (for example, a gearmotor from a car windshield wiper);
  • drill;
  • thermostat;
  • thermometer;
  • screwdriver and screws.

How to make an incubator with automatic tray turning with your own hands: video

Approximate diagram of the finished product:

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

The entire process of making a home incubator from an old refrigerator will take only a few hours, as it consists of a small number of main steps:

  1. Development of drawings showing the clear location of every detail of the future incubator.
  2. Disassembling the refrigerator and removing all unnecessary parts: freezer, trays on doors and other elements of secondary importance.
  3. Organization of a ventilation system (you need to drill one hole in the ceiling of the refrigerator, and make three more in the lower part, closer to the bottom, inserting plastic tubes into them).
  4. Fastening sheets of polystyrene foam to the inner walls of the case (you can use double-sided mounting tape or small self-tapping screws).
  5. Installation of a heating system. The prepared 4 incandescent lamps must be secured at the bottom and top of the refrigerator body (two pieces each), and the lower lamps should not interfere with the placement of the water container (small screws can be used for fastening).
  6. Installation of a purchased thermostat on the outer part of the door and its connection to the heating elements.
  7. Creating a turning mechanism using a car gearbox. To begin, use metal strips and self-tapping screws to secure this element to the bottom of the refrigerator. Then, inside the device, install wooden frame and attach the trays to it, only so that they can tilt 60°, first towards the door and then in the opposite direction. Attach a rod connected to the tray on the opposite side of the refrigerator to the gear motor (the motor will act on the rod, and it, in turn, will begin to tilt the tray and provide rotation).
  8. Installation of a viewing window. Cut a small hole on the outside of the refrigerator door and line it with glass or clear plastic. Reinforce all joints with tape or sealant.
  9. Installing a tray with water and attaching a thermometer inside the refrigerator, only so that it can be seen through the viewing window.

Finally, you should check the functionality of all mechanisms by turning on the device for several hours.

Laying eggs in the incubator

Before being placed in an incubator, all eggs must lie in the room for at least 8 hours, because if they were previously in cool conditions, then when placed in a warm incubator, condensation cannot be ruled out.
No less important stage preparation is the culling of unsuitable eggs.

So, the following specimens are not suitable for further incubation:

  • small size;
  • with cracks, growths or any other uncharacteristic features on the shell;
  • with freely moving yolk;
  • with a displaced air chamber (more than two millimeters).

The next stage is direct placement into the incubator, which also has its own characteristics:

  • on one tray it is advisable to place eggs close to each other in size, and preferably from the same type of bird;
  • first of all, the largest eggs should be laid out on the trays, followed by medium and small ones, taking into account the incubation period (on average, at least 4 hours should pass between the laying of each subsequent group);
  • if possible, it is worth moving the laying time to the evening hours, so that the chicks should appear in the morning;
  • It is advisable to place the incubator in a room with stable temperatures to make it easier for the device to maintain the indicators inside;
  • For complete control over the incubation process, get yourself a calendar in which you need to note the date of laying, the date and time of the turning, as well as the date of the control ovoscopy of the eggs.

The duration of incubation of different types of poultry has significant differences, which means turning the eggs should be done differently.
In addition, the conditions for embryo development will also vary:

  • for chicken eggs, the temperature inside the device must be monitored every hour, maintaining it at +37.9 °C for the first 11 days, with a humidity of no more than 66%;
  • for duck eggs, the optimal values ​​are +38…+38.2 °C, with a humidity of 70%.

Did you know?Chickens are excellent at remembering faces and are able to retain up to a hundred images in their memory, not only human ones, but also animals.

Temperature conditions for different types of poultry

The right temperature is one of the most important conditions incubation, without which hatching of chicks is simply impossible.

For each type of bird, these indicators are purely individual, so when laying eggs from chickens, ducks, geese or turkeys, you should focus on the following values:

In general, a homemade incubator - good decision both for those who are just trying their hand at poultry farming, and for experienced farmers who do not want to spend extra money on purchasing ready-made equipment. By equipping the structure with automatic egg turning, you can achieve 80–90% hatchability of chicks.



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