Do-it-yourself large incubator. Two options for making an incubator at home: simple and complex

Homemade incubator can be made in several ways from scrap materials. It will work no worse than its store-bought counterpart, but it will be much more economical. The capacity is selected based on personal needs, and the tray rotation mechanism can be either manual or automatic.

At home, you can assemble an incubator from:

Expanded polystyrene,
thick cardboard,
plywood sheets,
washing machine,
Old refrigerator.

The dimensions of the incubation machine are selected individually and depend on:

The required number of eggs to lay,
Location of heating elements.

An average incubator with dimensions: 45*30 cm contains:

up to 70 chicken,
up to 55 duck,
up to 55 turkey,
up to 40 goose,
up to 200 quail eggs.

Regardless of material or size, each device consists of:

Covers (with or without window),
Housings,
Tray and grates,
lamps,
Water containers to maintain humidity,
Thermometer.

Models with automatic or semi-automatic tray rotation are also equipped with a digital timer.

Models with manual tray rotation

Making simple incubators at home requires a minimum of materials and tools, and you can make them in a few hours. Minuses - insufficient thermal insulation, fragility and manual turning of the racks with eggs.

Foam Hatching Machine

The advantages of this model: lightness and compactness, inexpensive cost and ease of manufacture.

You can make an incubator from polystyrene foam as follows: the walls are cut out of a sheet of polystyrene foam, at least 5 cm thick. The recommended size of the sides is 50*50 cm, the end is 50*35 cm. Assemble the body and distribute it correctly inner space Drawings will help. The walls are held together with glue, or they can be glued together with wide tape. There are 3-4 ventilation holes in the bottom.

The foam incubator is equipped with a lid with a glass viewing window. The glass does not need to be firmly fixed: if there is a need to lower the temperature, it can be moved away. To ensure that the lid fits more tightly and does not loosen the structure, you can glue the sides made of wooden blocks. The thermostat and thermometer are installed next to the window.

Incubation chicken eggs in a foam incubator occurs under the influence of three incandescent lamps with a power of 25 W. In this volume, this is enough to maintain the required temperature. A water container is installed at the bottom of the chamber. The egg grill is assembled from a solid galvanized mesh with a cell size of 2.5 * 1.6 mm. Each side of the tray is lined with strong gauze: if this is not done, the chicks may be injured. To install the trays on top of each other, sides are built up around the perimeter, at least 10 cm high.

Air circulation inside the incubation chamber will be better if you attach a regular computer fan to the bottom.

The foam incubator for chicken eggs can be equipped with an additional heated indicator, which is placed under the grates.

Hatching machine out of the box

An incubator for chicken eggs made of cardboard is economical and simple, and assembling this design does not take much time. The device is made from an ordinary box from household appliances. It is not recommended to take a large one - it will be difficult to warm up the volume, and using more powerful lamps is dangerous. At a distance of 4-5 cm from the bottom, 6-7 ventilation holes are cut out, with a diameter of 3 to 7 mm.

From the inside, they are attached to the side walls at a height of 9-10 cm from the bottom. wooden slats. The bottom itself is covered with cellophane or oilcloth, and placed on top wooden beams. A bath of water is placed on the resulting tray, and a regular store-bought egg tray is placed on the slats. For admission fresh air 3-4 more holes are made in the top of the lid, about 5 mm in diameter. A thermometer is hung next to them and one additional hole is punched for the wire from the lamp.

To heat the incubator, incandescent lamps with a power of 25 W or more are used. Air humidity is regulated by opening the lid.

Plywood incubator

This model differs from the previous ones in greater strength and better heat-saving characteristics. How to make an incubator:

The walls are cut out of a sheet of plywood. Greater thermal insulation can be achieved by making them double,
The dimensions of the device are selected individually,
The lid is also cut out of plywood and made removable,
To control the process, a small window is cut into the lid,
Along the perimeter of the lid there are holes for ventilation, no more than a centimeter in diameter,
From the inside, yards for installing trays are mounted to the walls of a homemade incubator,
For air exchange, 4-5 holes are drilled in the floor,
The heating element for the incubator is usually incandescent lamps, but for large volumes a tubular electric heater (heating element) can also be used.
The minimum distance between lamps or heating elements and eggs is 25 cm,
The minimum distance between trays (if there are several of them) is 15 cm,
A frame-type egg tray, assembled from a metal grid and lined with gauze mesh,
Containers of the same size for water are placed at the bottom.
The finished egg incubator is placed in a warm room with good ventilation on a flat surface, and connected to a regular electrical network.

Automated Models

There are several ways to make an incubator with your own hands with automatic egg turning, uninterrupted power supply and good heat conservation.

Incubation apparatus from the refrigerator

How to make an incubator with backup power: the incubator body is assembled from a refrigerator. To do this, the interior space is cleaned and washed well with a disinfectant solution. A pair of viewing windows are cut into the door and glazed on the inside and outside.

From the inside, the chamber is divided into two parts. The lower one is an incubation one, equipped with trays. The top one is an output one; a fixed shelf is installed in it. The partition is cut out of a sheet of plywood, and several holes are punched in it for air exchange. To circulate air, a small fan is installed at the bottom of the incubation chamber, and next to it, a couple of holes about a centimeter in diameter are drilled in the side wall. To allow air to escape, similar holes are made in the upper part of the housing.

The electrical circuit looks like this:

Thermostat for hatching and incubation chambers,
Emergency thermostat,
Voltage stabilizer 10 V,
Heater for incubation compartment,
Heater for outlet compartment,
Spare heater connected to the backup power supply,
Backup battery for 12 V incubator,
Psychrometer,
Tray rotation mechanism
Humidity level regulator inside the hatching and incubation chamber.

In automatic mode, the operation of the incubator with backup power is ensured by a control unit that controls all the main components. Independent thermostats and heating elements maintain the set temperature in the chambers, and they are responsible for temperature control electronic thermometers. You can assemble them yourself using various ready-made circuits, but if you have little experience working with microelectronics, it’s better to buy them. The heating system is assembled from 20-25 W light bulbs, or a heating cord is laid around the perimeter to save electricity.

The automatic egg turning mechanism in the incubator operates every two hours, turning the trays 45°.

A temporary electronic relay, which is assembled from a low-speed motor and gearbox, is responsible for the operation of the mechanism. The output gear shaft must make a full revolution around its axis at 4 o'clock. You can replace a homemade relay with a similar device from an old drum washing machine. The mechanism is driven by a motor from the car's windshield wiper. To lower the speed, it is supplemented with a step-type chain reducer.

The lower egg grid is installed on the main axis, to which the gearbox sprocket is attached. Two additional ones are hung above it, and the distance between them is at least 15 cm. For simultaneous rotation, all trays are connected by a rod.

The egg incubator design assumes the presence of two power sources: universal and uninterruptible. The incubator is powered by a battery or power supply. The power supply of the power supply is 120-150 W, and the battery for the incubator is from 12 V.

To maintain humidity, a container of water and a fan are placed at the bottom of the incubation chamber.

Automatic incubator

Another option is how to make your own incubator with automatic egg turning. The body can be a frame from a washing machine or an old beehive.

The incubator structure looks like this:

Frame,
Tray system,
heating system,
Fan,
Lattice rotation mechanism.

In order to maintain the desired air temperature inside, it is necessary to insulate the walls of the incubator. For this purpose, they are lined with foam plastic. To ensure air exchange, we make holes on one side of the wall at the bottom, and on the other at the top. Diameter - no more than a centimeter. The holes can be equipped with plugs. An observation window is cut into the lid and glazed. The glass is not firmly fixed: if it is necessary to reduce the temperature inside the chamber, it is moved away.

The trays are assembled from a metal lattice with a cell pitch of about 2.5 cm, and covered mosquito net so that the hatched chicks do not damage their paws. Do-it-yourself auto-rotation for an incubator is done like this: holes are cut into the lattice frame, and they themselves are mounted on an axis. All parts of the mechanism are fastened together, and gear motors with a power of up to 20 W are used as a drive. For smooth movement of the tray, it is recommended to use a chain with a pitch of 0.52 mm. A temporary relay is responsible for automating the process.

All that remains is to install a heating system for the entire structure. The heating element for the incubator of this model is a spiral from old irons. The spirals are secured to the walls with ties or staples so that they can be easily replaced if necessary.

Minimum distance heating element from the tray - 20 cm.

In a chicken incubator made with your own hands according to this scheme, you must hang a thermometer and place a container of water on the bottom. For better air circulation, you can attach a fan to the bottom grille. There must be a psychrometer in the chamber. The device measures humidity levels, and you can buy it at any pet store.

You should definitely purchase or make your own incubator. At home it is functional device will allow you to acquire chicks in a timely manner and control the conditions in which they are born. We invite you to get acquainted with the operating principle of this design.

Read in the article

How an egg incubator works and works: basic elements

If you are thinking about how to make an incubator yourself, then you will be interested to know that such a device consists of:

housings;
heating systems;
egg trays;
devices that control temperature and humidity conditions.

Now let's talk about how an egg incubator works. It imitates the conditions typical for the natural brooding conditions of various birds. During operation, the device not only ensures optimal temperature and humidity conditions, but also turns the egg in a timely manner.

How to make an incubator at home - general manufacturing principles

In order for the finished design to allow you to hatch a high-quality egg, you need to know how to make an incubator at home. Such devices must meet certain requirements, which we invite you to familiarize yourself with.

What requirements must the body of an incubator for eggs made by hand meet: characteristics of the material

In order for a self-made egg incubator to function well, materials that have good properties should be used to create it. This element should not only help maintain the temperature inside at an optimal level, but also prevent sudden temperature changes.

What devices are used to heat air, and how the temperature is controlled: thermostats used

Incandescent lamps are most often used as a heating element for an incubator. Depending on the dimensions of the structure, their power can start from 25 W and reach the maximum possible values. Can be used as:

electric contactors– mercury thermometers with an electrode sealed into a tube. The second is a column of mercury. As it heats up, the mercury begins to move and, as soon as it reaches the soldered electrode, it closes the circuit. The incubator will turn off;
bimetallic plates. Heating of this thermostat will cause it to bend due to different thermal expansion of its constituent elements. When you touch the second electrode, the circuit will open;
barometric sensors. This is a hermetically sealed cylindrical object filled with ether, the height of which is less than the diameter. The cylinder is the first electrode, and the screw, located 1 mm from the bottom of the object, is the second. As the ether heats up, it causes the internal pressure to increase and the bottom to bend. As a result, the circuit closes and the heating system opens.

How to ventilate an incubation system: useful tips

The system must be provided without fail. The state of the air inside the device and the temperature and humidity conditions depend on its presence and stability of operation. To create an optimal microclimate, you should ensure average speed ventilation about 5 m/sec.

It is usually used to move air masses. The top and bottom of the housing are drilled ventilation holes, into which tubes of suitable diameter are inserted. By changing the degree of their overlap, the flow of fresh air is regulated.

Attention! The embryo located inside the egg consumes oxygen from the outside on the 6th day of incubation.

What mechanisms can be used to turn eggs: implementation options

To ensure that the egg is heated evenly, it is necessary to provide a rotating mechanism for the incubator. It can be implemented in different ways. The simplest option for small structures is using a mosquito net, which acts as the bottom of the structure. The mesh is mounted on two rollers, providing circular movement. The rotation of one of the rollers moves and turns the eggs in the trays. By providing a relay, timer and electric drive, you can automate the process. The disadvantages include that sometimes this mechanism does not work, and the egg simply moves along the tray.

Inclined mechanisms are more reliable design. The egg inside does not rotate, but simply tilts. To do this, the trays are fixed in the axial direction so that they can be tilted freely. There is a handle on the outside with which you can change the inclination of the trays.

It is possible to use swivel casters. The eggs are placed in trays between rubber rollers, which are connected to each other by a chain that ensures simultaneous rotation. Such a system allows connection. We invite you to watch a thematic video.

How to decide on the size of a home egg incubator: average values

The dimensions of the manufactured device are affected by:

the number of lamps used to heat the incubator;
the number of eggs that are planned to be placed in the device at the same time;
egg size.

As a rough guide, we can assume that in a home incubator for eggs 47 cm long and 40 cm wide, you can simultaneously place up to:

70 chicken;
55 turkey, duck;
40 goose;
200 quail.

Differences in temperature conditions for birds of different breeds

To hatch a bird, it is necessary to maintain optimal temperature conditions. The maximum and minimum temperature at which eggs should be kept depends on the breed of bird.

Bird breed	Temperature at the time of laying, °C	Temperature at the end of incubation, °C
Chickens	38-39	37,6
Ducks	37,8	37,1
Geese	38,4	37,4
Turkey	37,6	37,1
Got over it	37,5	37,5

Attention! Overheating of eggs is undesirable, underheating is unacceptable.

Violation of the temperature regime will lead to the development of embryos slowing down, and many of them will simply die. Overheating can affect the health of hatched chicks.

How to make an incubator from an old refrigerator with your own hands

If you still have it at home old refrigerator, we suggest you learn how to make an incubator out of it with your own hands. By following our recommendations, you can create a functional device that fully copes with the task assigned to it.

What tools and materials are needed for work: an indicative list

To make your own quail incubator, in addition to the body of the refrigerator itself, you should prepare:

glass;
low power motor with gearbox;
metal gratings;
frames made of wood or aluminum;
light bulbs of suitable power;
heat reflecting material;
computer coolers;
sealant;
Building tools.

Preparing the refrigerator body

We begin work by preparing the body.

Illustration	Description of action
	The entire cooling system should be removed from the refrigerator body and all unnecessary parts should be removed. This will increase the volume of the internal space of the incubation chamber.
	We mark the door and secure the glass with screws. We ensure sufficient tightness at the junction of the window and the door.
	We decorate the interior space using panels. We use screws as fasteners. All joints must be foamed to ensure sufficient tightness.

Ventilation system installation

To ensure sufficient air speed, preference should be given to forced ventilation.

A comment

Leading engineer for heating, ventilation and air conditioning LLC "GK "Spetsstroy"

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"Purchase two fans for the incubator. One should be mounted at the top of the chamber, the second at the bottom. In this case, you will be able to better control the humidity and temperature conditions inside the chamber

Installation of a heating and thermoregulation system

To heat the incubator, incandescent lamps with a power of 25-40 W should be used. They are connected to lamps.

Attention! It is preferable to use four 25-watt lamps instead of two 40-watt lamps.

Heating elements should be located either at the top of the chamber or along its perimeter. The thermostat should be mounted outside the chamber, the sensor inside the chamber.

We invite you to watch a video that shows the connection diagram of the incubator.

How to make a mechanism for automatically turning eggs for an incubator with your own hands: video and nuances

In order not to miss time, it is worth making your own incubator with automatic turning. Such a system will independently change the position of the eggs after a given time.

It can be made on the basis of a gear motor for a windshield wiper. This video describes in sufficient detail the diagram of such a device.

We think you will also be interested in the video instructions for making your own incubator from the refrigerator.

The nuances of making a foam incubator with your own hands: video instructions

Such structures can be made entirely of polystyrene foam, or this material can act as a . Schemes and drawings for making such incubators with your own hands are presented in the public domain. We offer you to look at photos of the simplest options.

Lamp sockets are attached from the inside, under which slats for a tray or grille are mounted. The latter should be done as a frame type. Should be placed on grates construction mesh for puttying or mosquito repellent.

Note! When choosing the distance between the sockets and the slats, keep in mind that there should be no more than 25 cm between the low-power incandescent lamp and the egg.

How to use an incubator: important points

To ensure a healthy brood, you need to know how to use an incubator. To do this, the chamber is first cleaned and disinfected using a weak bleach solution. Wait until the internal surfaces are completely dry.

Attention! The incubator should be operated in a room where the air temperature is 21-23°C, located away from a source of cold or heat.

Before laying eggs, you should check the functionality of the device for at least 24 hours. If the temperature conditions are met, you can begin incubation. To do this, place the egg in the tray with clean hands, placing it with the sharp edge down.

Initially, the temperature inside the device may become lower than the required values. Over time, the indicators level out.

During the incubation process, the egg is turned over three times a day. 3-4 days before the chicks hatch, the rotation of the trays is stopped. After they hatch from the eggs, you should wait a bit until they dry properly.

How much can you buy an automatic egg incubator - price review

It is quite difficult to create a homemade incubator with automatic egg turning. It is required to have certain knowledge and be able to perform certain manipulations. If manual overturn difficult, you should buy an automatic egg incubator, the price of which depends on technical characteristics And design features. Particularly popular models are:

"Cinderella". The manufacturer offers devices for different numbers of eggs, which allows you to choose best option for myself. Can be used for incubating chicken and goose eggs. Operates on 220 V. Model for 98 eggs weighs 4.5 kg;

Review of the “Cinderella” model

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_1059377.html

WQ-48. Comfortable and enough simple model. Made of plastic, which greatly simplifies the process of caring for the device. Equipped with rotating trays. Designed for 48 chicken eggs. Allows the installation of special trays for incubating quail eggs. Weighs 5.1 kg;

Model overview:

MSN 32. Incubator for 42 eggs. Weighs 2.6 kg. The electronic control system ensures fairly accurate setting of the required parameters;
"Laying hen BI-1". A universal model suitable for breeding young birds of all breeds. Equipped with an analog thermostat and an automatic egg turning system.

Review of the model “Layer BI-1”

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_1935873.html

Now you know how to make an incubator from a refrigerator and other scrap materials. You can safely get to work. Share your successes and photos of hatched chickens in the comments.

" Equipment

In this article we will talk about what a simple household incubator consists of and how you can make it yourself without large investments. The components of a home incubator can vary depending on whether you want it to be fully manual, semi-automatic or automatic.

You will need:

lid with viewing window;
frame;
lattice for eggs;
light bulbs with chambers;
containers for water;
fan at 12 V;
Regulator voltage 12 V;
thermometer;
thermostat;
temperature sensor;
controller revolution frequency (digital timer).

What can you make this useful thing from at home?

from foam plastic;
made of cardboard boxes;
from plywood or wood;
from old refrigerator.

This list is not final. The specified list different materials involves making the cover and body from these materials. WITH detailed description, the characteristics and structure of each type of incubator can be found below.

Incubator dimensions will depend primarily on:

number of eggs, which you will put.
from location light bulbs, which heat the incubator.

For reference: with an average incubator length of 450 - 470 mm and a width of 300 - 400 mm, egg capacity, pcs. (depending on size):

chicken up to 70;
duck or turkey up to 55;
goose up to 40;
quail up to 200.

Homemade foam incubator, description and drawings

You will need: sheets of foam plastic (expanded polystyrene) measuring 50 x 100 cm. Thickness - 50 mm.

Mark the sheet with a pencil and ruler. We take arbitrary sizes. Example:

Side wall: Length – 50 cm, height -50 cm.

End wall: length – 35 cm, height – 50 cm.

Cut the foam to size with a sharp knife. If the foam is not extruded, then it is better to cut it stationery knife— it is very sharp, the blade is thin.

We do the same with the second sheet.

Further assembling the body in accordance with the presented drawing. This is done using rubber glue or simply wrapping the joints with wide tape. Thus, we will have the side, end sides and bottom of the body. At the bottom of the hull, which is also cut to fit the dimensions of the walls, be sure to make 2-3 holes for air ventilation.

cover manufactured separately with a viewing window and a pair of holes for ventilation, as shown in the diagram below.

Glass There is no need to “tightly” fix it. After the chicks hatch, we adjust the temperature in the incubator by turning it a quarter or half way. The proposed design of the incubator assumes that it will be heated by three electric 25 watt light bulbs, this is enough to maintain the required temperature. We make sure to make the lid with the sides partially cut out so that it does not move around the body. For this purpose, you can also glue sides. The material used is wooden blocks or foam blocks.

On the lid, we attach three electric chuck with light bulbs.

We install a thermostat on top (if the design requires one).

The egg grid is made from welded galvanized mesh 16 x 24 mm, closed from the inside with a plastic mosquito net. The mesh is needed to prevent small chicks from falling into the cells with their paws. They also stick their heads into the cells, which ends badly for them (and you). On the grid we increase sides(walls), the height of which should not be lower than 8 - 10 cm, otherwise the chicks will jump over it. If you do not plan to roll the eggs by turning the grille along its axis, then we make the sides smaller than the grille around the entire perimeter, and the grille will cover the entire internal space of the incubator and will lie on the bars. In this design you will have to turn each egg by hand, marking them on one side with a plus (+), and on the other, respectively, with a minus (-). Come up with your own designations.

This design can be improve, equipping it with an ordinary 12-volt computer fan, using a voltage regulator, an adapter (12 volts, respectively) and a thermostat.

You can design an indicator with heating from light bulbs, which will be located below, under the tray (grid) with eggs. Then the design will be more compact. Its height may not exceed 25-30 cm. Bulbs and chambers for them can be taken the same as in a regular household refrigerator. You can use a different type of heater (film from underfloor heating systems).

To do not turn each egg, you can place the grate (tray) not on the bars at the bottom, but make holes closer to the bottom of the incubator, insert bushings there, and attach the grate to the bushings with corners or other clamps. Attach handles or holders to the outside. In this way, the grate can be rotated along its axis, changing the degree of inclination of the eggs and, accordingly, heating one side of the eggs, then the other. In this case, the grid should be smaller in size than the internal walls of the incubator so that it can change the angle of inclination without interference. Grille sides then they should be higher than 5 cm, since otherwise the chicks may fall over the side and fall to the bottom of the incubator towards the light bulbs and water containers.

From a cardboard box, diagram and device

Perhaps the simplest and cheap incubator option is a design made from cardboard box. Cardboard is very inferior in strength to all other materials, so this type of incubator has certain features.

Ventilation holes located 3-4 cm from the bottom; on the side walls, at a distance of 6-7 cm from the bottom, we attach wooden slats to the walls. Instead of slats, you can put bars on the bottom of the box, which we cover with film. It should be larger in size than the bottom so that its edges extend onto the walls. On a pallet install any container with water.

We place regular egg packaging on slats or bars. We cut a hole in the middle for better air ventilation. A lid is made for the box with two holes: in the middle, for a lamp, and on the side for a thermometer.

DIY plywood

If you make an incubator from this material, then it the walls must be double. The top cover, as in previous versions, is removable. A viewing window with glass is cut into it. Let's do ventilation holes similar to the previous options.

WITH inside the incubator is being installed lamp sockets, and below they nail the slats for the tray. We also drill holes in the plywood floor for ventilation. There can be 4-10 pieces.

Tray or egg rack frame type is also suitable. We place a mosquito net or construction mesh on the grate for puttying. The incubator is installed in a warm room.

Attention! Don't forget that minimum distance the distance from the lamp to the eggs should not be less than 25 cm if low-power incandescent lamps are used as the source.

From an old refrigerator

If you have a old refrigerator, which you managed to replace with a new one, but have not yet thrown away the old one, you can use it as a homemade incubator.

We throw away everything unnecessary, including the freezer. They are done from above ventilation holes. They are also made at the bottom of the incubator. Install below 12 volt fan.

Next you need to install heaters. This role is performed by electrical 25 watt light bulbs. You need 4 such light bulbs. Two light bulbs are placed at the top of the refrigerator, and two at the bottom. At the bottom we attach the chambers in such a way that it is possible to place a tray with water at the bottom.

Egg trays are also made from galvanized welded mesh with sides. If you choose plastic fruit boxes as the material, that’s also good. Then they are cut to a height of 6 cm. All trays are mounted on an axle and are connected to each other by a bar, with the help of which the inclination of the eggs changes.

Auto

In some of the above options, it was proposed to manufacture manual or semi-automatic incubator. In order to do automatic incubator, you must additionally purchase:

block thermostat;
tray automatic egg turning, which turns the eggs at a certain angle;
frequency controller coup (timer).

Differences in temperature conditions for different types of poultry

In the first two days, you need to warm the eggs well, so the temperature in the incubator is set at 38-38.7°C.

Remember! An increase in temperature has a detrimental effect on the embryos.

Chicken eggs in the first days of incubation, they are kept at a temperature of 39 to 38 degrees, gradually lowering it. IN last days (20-21) – 37,6.

Duck- from 37.8 to 37.1 degrees downward.

Goose– from 38.4 to 37.4.

Turkeys– from 37.6 to 37.1.

Quail All 17 days of incubation are maintained at the same temperature of 37.5 degrees.

As you can see by doing incubator at home, the material can be varied and depends on what is at hand. To orient the reader what the financial benefit will be from this event (meaning the difference between a ready-made incubator bought in a store and made by hand), we can say that the benefit is at least threefold. If you don’t buy automatic equipment, the difference will be even greater. Of course, what you make will also have minuses: doesn't look as aesthetically pleasing, maybe not the same long term services. Despite this, many prudent owners prefer make an incubator, and not buy.

Comparing the material from which the incubator body is made, we can say that foam incubator has the lowest heat loss, from a cardboard box- the cheapest. What material you will make it from is up to you to decide.

For a small farm, compact devices for breeding young animals are needed. It’s easy to make an incubator with your own hands at home using available materials.

The main attention is paid to the case, which must ensure stable temperature conditions. An old refrigerator or a box made of polystyrene foam is suitable for this purpose. Trays are inserted inside into which eggs are laid. The work of turning them over and maintaining the required temperature can be automated.

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Advantages

A homemade device has a number of advantages:

1. A home-made device is cheaper.
2. You can make the product according to your needs for the required number of eggs.
3. A device made from improvised materials is cheaper to maintain.
4. It is possible to install an additional power source. It will be needed in the event of a power outage.

Requirements

The beginning of work consists of preparing design drawings and developing an electrical circuit. At this stage, the necessary requirements for the device are laid down:

1. Additional space is provided in the incubator body to be able to increase the volume of rearing young animals.
2. The main focus is on the heating method and thermal insulation.
3. Availability of ventilation. To do this, holes are drilled on the side and in the bottom. When manufactured from a refrigerator, fans are installed inside.
4. The device must have a reliable power supply system that does not fail.

The incubator is located in a warm and dry room with a temperature of at least 20 degrees and a humidity level of no more than 20%.

Simple incubator

Most easy way making an incubator - wooden version. The property of wood to heat up slowly and give off heat at the same rate makes it a convenient material.

Manufacturing Description:

You can take a ready-made box or put it together yourself.
The inside of the space is lined with plywood to cover the cracks.
Holes with a diameter of 10 mm are drilled on top and covered with glass. These will be viewing windows.
To install foam trays, supports are made.
Wiring and cartridges are being installed in the lower part.

This type of incubator, made from a box, is a simple design that you can make yourself.

For quails

For quails, take a box that provides humidity control. It is supported by ventilation holes and water containers located in the incubator.

The grids on which they are located quail eggs, must be able to rotate at an angle of 45 degrees. This is achieved by a lever extended outside the body.

From the refrigerator

To make an incubator from a refrigerator, remove freezer and all the shelves.

After drawing up the drawing and connection diagram, the following steps are carried out:

Holes are drilled at the top. One is for ventilation purposes, and the rest are for incandescent lamps.
In order to preserve heat, the walls of the refrigerator are lined with polystyrene foam.
Trays are installed. If possible, the refrigerator shelves are remade for them.
In the upper part, outside, the thermostat is installed. The sensor is located on the inside.
3 holes measuring 1.5 x 1.5 cm are cut at the bottom for ventilation.
There are fans near the lamps and below. They provide air circulation.

The advantages of such an incubator are its dimensions, which can accommodate up to 500 eggs.

Incubator from the refrigerator

From foam plastic

This material is optimal. He is light in weight low price, it has thermal insulation qualities.

The materials used are:

2 sheets of polystyrene foam 50 mm thick and dimensions 100 x 100 cm.
Glue or tape.
4 incandescent lamps with 25 W sockets.
Fan.
Thermostat.
Trays.

Step-by-step instructions for making an incubator for chicken eggs:

1. The first sheet of foam is cut into 4 equal parts. They will become the side walls of the incubator.
2. The second is first divided in half, and then one of the halves is cut into sheets 50 x 60 and 50 x 40. The first will become the lid, and the second the bottom.
3. A groove measuring 13 x 13 cm is made in the lid. It is both an inspection hole and a ventilation hole. The top is covered with plastic.
4. The first sheet, cut into 4 parts, is glued into a frame. The bottom is glued to the bottom.
5. The entire body and bottom are secured with tape.
6. Foam supports are attached along the walls and trays are installed on them.
7. At a distance of 1 cm from the bottom, 3 ventilation holes with a diameter of 12 mm are burned out with a soldering iron.
8. To stiffen the lid, bars are attached to it on all sides. They are also made from foam plastic. They are located at a distance of 5 cm from the edge and go inside the body. Fitting tightly to the side walls, the lid is securely fixed.
9. Use an awl to poke a hole in the lid. There is a thermostat on the outside and a sensor on the inside.
10. Incandescent lamps are attached.
11. Trays located inside should be 5 cm away from the walls so that the ventilation process is not disrupted.

To keep the heat in an incubator made of foam plastic longer, you need to additionally insulate the walls and ceiling. Foil insulation is suitable for this.

From the microwave

From microwave oven An incubator is made according to the same principle. The disadvantage is its small size. Therefore, it can be used to hatch quails.

Manufacturing Features:

The body of the microwave oven is lined with foam plastic for better heat retention.
To ensure the flow of fresh air, a ventilation hole is made at the top. The door is not insulated.
A tray with eggs is inserted inside. Immediately below it is a container of water for moistening.

Connection diagram for a homemade incubator

Automatic egg turning

In order to successfully carry out the incubation process, the eggs must be rotated 180 degrees. If you do this manually, it takes a lot of time. Automatic rotation is used for this purpose.

Types of automatic turning mechanisms:

1. Mobile mesh. Typically used in small structures. The principle is that the eggs lie in cells, and under them there is a grid that moves slowly. As she moves, the eggs begin to rotate. The disadvantage is that they may not turn over, and the grid will go idle.
2. Roller system. It is less commonly used in DIY production. The system consists of rollers with bushings on which a mesh is stretched. It is difficult to make this at home.
3. The tray is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees. Eggs located in cells do not roll off. But when moving, the grids begin to rotate.

The latter method has found application in large incubators made from a refrigerator.

Having household, it is beneficial to have a small device for hatching young animals. There is no point in purchasing an industrial version, which is expensive. A self-made device will fully comply necessary requirements and farm size. The costs of its repair are minimal.

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. 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 a homemade incubator is made, a cable must be threaded into the upper 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 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 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. 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!