How to make your own incubator for quail eggs. Options for homemade quail incubators

Distinctive features of a homemade incubator

There are ready-made devices on the market for incubating quail eggs. But they have several disadvantages, which is why farmers resort to homemade structures. Firstly, purchased devices of this type are highly expensive and their prices are often quite inflated. Secondly, they are designed for a small number of eggs, which is why they are not suitable for those who breed quail on an industrial scale. And thirdly, they are sometimes too difficult to purchase, particularly if a specific model is required.

But a homemade quail incubator must have a number of characteristics, without which it will be impossible to properly hatch chicks in it. To begin with, it must be constantly maintained at the required temperature. Moreover, its fluctuations cannot exceed 0.1°C up or down, so the owner of the incubator will need an accurate thermometer and a purchased or hand-made thermoregulation system, and the box itself must be sufficiently insulated. Of course, there should be no gaps in it.

A homemade incubator for quail eggs should provide them with conditions as close as possible to those found in nature. This applies not only to temperature, but also to humidity levels. That is why it is difficult to make an incubation box in such a way as to do without purchased devices. This will require skills in working with electronics, as well as the ability to use a soldering iron. You also need to make a lattice for the eggs in which they will lie in the desired position until the end of hatching. Here's what they say about the requirements for an incubator:

“To hatch quails, the incubator must maintain the required temperature and humidity inside for 17-20 days. The temperature is usually set at 37-37.7°C, and the humidity should be 50-55%. And all this should not depend on fluctuations in current in the outlet or, especially, power outages. It doesn't matter at all how the farmer handles it. He can use any methods or devices that will help in this matter.”

Making a housing for a homemade incubator

There are no strict guidelines that determine the size and shape of the incubator. The farmer always chooses the option that suits him best. If you need a box for 50-100 quail eggs, a mini-incubator is made in which they can all fit freely. And in industrial rearing, when eggs need to be laid in the thousands, it is done Big cupboard, in which they will all fit. But in any case, the same requirements are imposed on the quail incubator.

Still, how to make a quail incubator with your own hands? Regardless of the size of its chamber, this device is essentially an insulated wooden box. The incubator frame is made of durable wooden blocks. They are fastened together by any in an accessible way. The main thing is that they do not fall apart during operation. Self-tapping screws are suitable as fasteners, although sometimes you can use nails or even glue. In any case, before laying eggs, it would be better to test the product for strength.

The cabinet walls are usually made of plywood, although materials such as fiberboard and chipboard can also be used. It is advisable to make them in one piece and at the same time make the walls of two layers. Foam insulation is installed in the gap between them. At the same time, it is quite possible to make it from packaging foam, which is usually thrown away. It is necessary to cut windows in the walls themselves through which the removal process will be controlled. They are covered with glass or plexiglass, so that there are no extra gaps left.

Those who make an incubator for small quails with their own hands for the first time often find it difficult to work with foam plastic. The thing is that when you try to process the foam with a hacksaw, it begins to crumble. The cut turns out to be uneven, the pieces of polystyrene foam fit each other worse, and, as a result, there is no normal insulation. And here one simple device that is not at all difficult to make can help. All you need is metal scissors, pliers, a soldering iron and can from canned food.

A plate in the shape of the letter T is cut out of a tin can, and its long end can be made sharp or rounded. Be sure to clean the plate of paint, paper or glue, and then rinse it. After this, take pliers and bend the two short ends towards each other to make a ring. This ring is put on the working part of the soldering iron. With such a tip, after warming up, it will easily cut foam without leaving crumbs. This way it will be possible to make normal insulation for the walls of the incubator.

Trays for laying eggs in an incubator

It is separately recommended to think over the design of the trays in which the quail eggs will be laid. To lay out quail eggs, a metal mesh with square cells is usually used, which is fixed inside a wooden or plastic frame. The mesh must be firmly fixed in the tray so as not to fall out along with the eggs. For these purposes, you can use the sandwich principle. Two identical frames are made from wooden slats, which are then fastened together by bots. And in the middle there is a grid.

The cells on which the eggs will lie must be sufficiently small large sizes so that the egg does not fall through or break. The masonry is located in the incubator with its sharp ends down, this is the optimal position for hatching. If the laying was carried out differently, this will negatively affect the future poultry population, so the egg should be positioned so that it does not turn over during incubation. Because of this, trays are sometimes made different sizes so that when storing them there is no free space left.

DIY quail incubator for 50 eggs!!!

Incubator from China. Part 2. Laying quail eggs! Alex Boyko

Incubator Laying hen, BI-2 quail hatching

Hatching of quails in a homemade incubator with a revolution

Incubator for quail eggs at the Juno market.

Electronics for a homemade incubator

Even the craftsman who is able to make a quail incubator with his own hands is sometimes forced to buy electronics for it. The fact is that for this device it is strictly recommended to make or purchase two devices: an inverter and a thermostat. Both of these devices can be made independently or purchased ready-made. But for self-made Requires electronics skills and reading ability electrical circuits parts required for the device.

It’s worth watching the video to see how temperature control devices are assembled. A separate recommendation for those who have old electronics made during the Soviet era. Spare parts from it can be very useful in the manufacture of a thermostat. The fact is that even some of the drawings shown in the video are taken from homemade circuits, made back in the 80s of the last century. But these circuits are still suitable for use in homemade incubators.

Such diagrams always indicate what brand of parts are required for assembly. A beginner only needs to compare the markings with those that mark the parts he has. It is useless to describe this scheme here; it is better to look at it in the attached photos. In particular, it is worth paying attention to the temperature control device, made on the basis of the KR140UD6 integrated circuit. The only drawback of such circuits is that they are sensitive to fluctuations in alternating current in the outlet. And here another device comes in handy.

Inverter for a homemade incubator

It is quite possible to buy an inverter that would be suitable for a homemade quail incubator. But these devices are expensive and not always affordable for the average farmer. This device is needed for uninterrupted power supply to the incubator, and serves as protection against power surges and power outages. Like an automatic thermostat, it is very important for successful breeding quail in the incubator. And, like the temperature control device, the inverter can actually be made at home.

A similar inverter is made from a conventional computer uninterruptible power supply device. The assembly is described in more detail in the corresponding video. Important to do additional ventilation, since due to higher loads the UPS will heat up much more. And they are suitable as power sources in case of a power outage solar panels, diesel generator or regular batteries. The choice in this matter remains with the poultry farmer himself. Of course, you can always purchase a ready-made inverter.

Heating the incubator without the help of electronics

Of course, it is convenient to use an automatic thermostat and an uninterruptible power supply device in the incubator. But how can you make a quail incubator secure without resorting to working with electronics? Such devices are not cheap, and not every poultry farmer is capable of making them on his own. But there is a fairly convenient alternative that you can actually implement on your own. This will not require drawings of complex devices and skills that many people do not possess.

If it is not possible to manually regulate the temperature in the incubator, then it should be set at 37.5-38°C. Conventional incandescent lamps are used for heating. To prevent the air from stagnating, several round holes are made in the lid for ventilation, and to ensure uniform heating, the lamps are installed both at the very bottom and under the housing lid. Then both the upper and lower mesh with eggs will warm up evenly. Here's how to make a heating device from a regular container of water:

• First you need to take a ready-made metal water canister or other similar container. It must be kept in constant readiness in case of a power outage.
• When the lights go out, you need to heat the water on the stove or stove. It is heated until it boils, after which it is poured into a container.
• After this, a similar heater is installed under the lower grid with eggs in the incubator. It will serve as a replacement for electrical heating.
• In case the light is turned off for a long time, it is better to keep two similar containers and change them as needed.

Conclusion

It is quite possible to make a quail incubator yourself. But when assembling, you must follow all the basic recommendations, and then this device will quickly pay for itself.

Domesticated female quails may lose the instinct to incubate eggs. However, even if the bird is able to hatch offspring, it will still not be able to take more than 15 eggs. In this regard, the breeder must acquire an incubator, which will replace the laying hen. To do this, you don’t have to go to a hardware store, because the device modern type can be made in a home workshop.

Why do you need an incubator?

Quails are usually kept in large numbers due to their small size. However, sometimes natural offspring are not enough for the desired population, since one female can hatch no more than 12-15 eggs. In addition, she may completely refuse to hatch them.

To solve this problem, you need an incubator - a hermetically sealed box that includes thermal insulation, special heating and egg trays. Thus, it artificially creates all the conditions for the production of full-fledged chicks from fertilized eggs.

There are a large number of incubator models available in hardware stores, but they are not cheap. To significantly reduce your costs, you can assemble the device yourself using available materials and ready-made drawings.

Requirements

If the device does not meet a number of requirements, during its operation you can lose all the eggs at once. So, when making an incubator yourself, you need to take into account following rules:

• The incubator must be maintained at a temperature between 37.3-38.3°C. In the room where the device will be located, it should not be below 20°C. As for humidity, it should be 50-50% in the chamber, and 20% outside the chamber.
• The easiest way to heat the box is to use regular 40 W incandescent lamps. For heating small space 4 such lamps are enough. As an alternative, heating elements can be used, but in this case the design will be more complex.
• Heat should be evenly distributed at all points of the incubator. This is not an easy task given that warm air tends to rise. Thus, hatching eggs often have to be swapped. In industrial devices, this requires swapping trays, and in household devices, transferring the eggs from the middle to the edges. However, there is another option: equip the device with two heat sources, placing the first of them under the lid, and the second on the lid. As heating elements, you can use 25 W incandescent lamps (2 each on top and bottom).
• For optimization temperature regime the bottom of the trays should be made of metal mesh, since it allows warm air to pass through much faster. It is better to make the trays themselves not stationary, but movable, on each of the three rows by installing not one solid tray, but two measuring 1/3 of the area of ​​the row. This will solve the problem of temperature fluctuations, since the egg will constantly be in the middle of the device, and the entire incubation process will take place in optimal mode.
• If possible, the cover of the device should be made not from the side (on the entire wall), but from the top. This way the incubator will not cool down quickly when turning the eggs.
• To make the body of the device, you can use various materials - from a wooden box to an old refrigerator. However, in any case, it will be necessary to provide the device with sufficient thermal insulation using modern insulating materials.

During the incubation period, the temperature inside the device must be maintained at 37.3-38.3°C and humidity up to 50-55%. These parameters should not depend on either current fluctuations in the outlet or power outages. You can read more about how quail eggs are incubated.

Construction principle

When making a homemade incubator, you can use various materials and drawings. In this case, the principle of action is almost the same:

1. A box is used as a body the right size, and to maintain a stable temperature and humidity in it, thermal insulation walls are made. The outside can also be lined with polystyrene foam boards or roll insulation, and covered with plywood on top. You can also use an old refrigerator as a body, on top of which you need to drill several holes for ventilation and install glass to monitor the condition of the eggs.
2. The interior of the chamber or box is cleaned to allow for future cleaning and disinfection of the cavity.
3. To install the net with eggs, stops and a sealed hatch are made.
4. To maintain the desired level of humidity, an evaporator is installed at the bottom of the chamber. The nets must be installed higher, otherwise the chicks may drown in the bath.
5. To ensure that all eggs are heated evenly, an internal fan with periodic switching mode is installed on the upper and lower grids.
6. An air space is created in the chamber so that the nets with eggs can be turned over by 45 degrees. So, the distance from the floor to the tray should be at least 10 cm. As for the distance from the tray to the ceiling or the top viewing glass, it must be calculated depending on the heating method. If 40 W light bulbs are used, then it should also be at least 10 cm.
7. To make trays for eggs, you can stretch any suitable material, for example, nylon fishing line. The main thing is that the eggs do not roll when the tray is turned over, and the hatched chicks do not fall into the cells.
8. Mains power is used for incubating birds. It is worth connecting the battery in case of emergency.
9. To monitor the temperature in the chamber, a mercury thermometer is installed, which is usually used to monitor the operation of temperature sensors. It should not touch the eggshell. To measure humidity, a psychrometer is installed.
10. When the chicks are born, a fine mist is created in the chamber so that the shell is easily separated when broken by the beak. The chicks dry out in the chamber for 1-2 days.
11. The finished incubator is installed on an elevated platform.

By assembling the incubator with your own hands, you can get a design of this type:

How to make an incubator from a foam box?

Polystyrene foam has the property of maintaining the required temperature, so it can be used as the main material in the manufacture of an incubator.

Option #1

How the device will look in cross-section can be seen in the diagram:

Before assembling the device, you must prepare:

• 2 sheets of polystyrene foam or a ready-made foam box;
• incandescent lamp 40 W or 4 lamps of 15 W;
• glass or plastic;
• egg tray;
• water tray;
• fan;
• thermal insulation foil;
• thermostat;
• scotch;
• glue;
• soldering iron;
• drill.

The structure is assembled in this order:

1. Cut the first sheet of polystyrene foam into 4 equal parts to form the walls of the box. Glue the resulting walls together in the form of a box.
2. Cut the second sheet of foam plastic into 2 equal parts. Take the first of them and divide into 2 parts 60 cm wide and 40 cm wide to get the lid and bottom of the structure.
3. Cut a window with equal sides (in the shape of a square) in the lid. Cover it with glass or plastic.
4. Glue the bottom to the previously assembled box. The seams are additionally covered with tape, and the inner walls are lined with thermal insulating foil.
5. From last sheet cut out the legs from foam plastic - bars 6 cm high and 4 cm wide. Glue them to the bottom.
6. In the sidewalls, drill or burn with a soldering iron 3 holes for ventilation with a diameter of 12 mm. They should be 1 cm above the bottom.
7. Attach lamp sockets inside the box.
8. Install a thermostat on the outside of the lid, and secure the sensor inside at a height of 1 cm from the egg tray.
9. Insert the egg tray.
10. Attach a fan to the cover of the structure.
11. Place a tray of water at the bottom of the incubator.

You can see what a homemade incubator made of 4 cm thick foam plastic looks like in the following video:

Option No. 2

An incubator from a foam box can be assembled in more than complex type. To do this, you will also need to prepare tin cans, aluminum sheets, 15 W light bulbs and a cooler to maintain a uniform temperature inside the device. The structure is assembled in this order:

1. Cover the inside walls of the box with polyethylene foil to keep the incubator warm.
2. Attach the cooler and light bulbs to a sheet of plywood, since direct attachment to the foam will be unreliable. The cooler must be installed at such an angle that it blows on the light bulbs.
3. Cut “screens” from cans for even distribution thermal radiation from light bulbs.
4. Cut holes in the lid of the box and attach a piece of glass so that the farmer can observe the condition of the eggs.
5. Make several small holes in the box to provide the chicks with fresh air.
6. Place a metal grid with cells measuring 40x30 at the bottom. Sharpen all mesh points using a file.
7. Attach a piece of wire to the grid to form a handle for turning the tray over.
8. Place containers of water at the bottom of the structure to maintain humidity levels.

To regulate the temperature, you can install a digital controller in the incubator. In addition, you should remember about the psychrometer, which will help maintain constant level humidity.

Options for assembling an incubator from a wooden box

The basis of such an incubator is a wooden box or frame. From the inside it is insulated with plywood, polystyrene foam or heat insulation. For creating necessary conditions Heating lamps and water trays are also installed. There are several options for assembling this design.

Option #1

A simple design, for assembly you will need:

• box;
• foam sheets;
• plywood sheet;
• metal construction mesh;
• one incandescent lamp with a power of 40 W or 4 lamps with a power of 15 W.

When assembling a product from wooden frame made from bars, one can proceed from the following drawing:

The incubator is assembled in several stages:

1. Cover the box with pieces of plywood and additionally insulate the walls with polystyrene foam.
2. Drill several ventilation holes with a diameter of 1 cm in the bottom part.
3. Make a glass window in the lid so that in the future you can monitor the eggs in the trays and control the temperature inside the incubator.
4. Under the cover, install electrical wiring with lamp sockets, which must be placed in each corner of the product.
5. Attach the egg tray to a foam support approximately 10 cm above the bottom.
6. Stretch a metal mesh over the top of the tray.

Option No. 2

Advantages of the model:

• wooden box;
• sheet of plywood, foam plastic or thermal insulation;
• cover;
• 3 wooden joists;
• 2 water trays;
• metal mesh;
• fixing slats;
• 2 heater resistors (PEV-100, 300 Ohm);
• 40 W incandescent lamps;
• wire in heat-resistant insulation.

To make an incubator, you need to follow this sequence:

1. Cover the walls of the box with heat-insulating material - plywood, polystyrene foam or heat insulation.
2. Make a viewing window in the lid and cover it with glass.
3. Drill through holes in the lid and equip them with movable slats that can be opened or closed if necessary.
4. Install 40 W lamps in each corner. Place the wiring 20 cm below the cover.
5. Pull on metal carcass mesh or lattice to create an egg tray. Install it 10 cm above the bottom.
6. Install a fan, thermometers and a thermostat inside the box. Thus, it will be possible to control the microclimate inside the device, and, if necessary, change the level of temperature and humidity.
7. Place trays of water on the “floor.”

Homemade incubator according to Dulik's scheme

Amateur poultry farmer S. E. Dulik offers quite complex design, equipped with a heating element in the form of an iron tank with water. However, this provides good results during operation, since this heating method does not depend on voltage and provides uniform heating. Even if there is a power outage, the chicks will be fine.

Dulik's scheme looks like this:

To make such an incubator yourself, you need to understand the principle of its construction:

1. Distinctive characteristic incubator - a heating element in the form of a water tank (1). It is responsible for the uniform distribution of heat inside the device. The main thing is that it will function regardless of the presence of voltage. This tank is made of iron 4 mm thick. It can be made from galvanized iron, but the seams will need to be soldered.
2. Branch pipes (2) 30 mm high are made from pipe sections with a diameter of 4 inches and are welded into the top cover of the tank. The internal hole should be 10 mm smaller than the diameter of the pipe.
3. The formed side is necessary for the lamp limiter (3) made of 4-5 mm thick braid. You also need to cut out two disks from it - an outer diameter of 95 mm and an inner one, the size of which must match the size of the cartridge. The resulting fastening elements will also be indicators that the heating is turned on, since through them you can see the process of heating the water.
4. In the design itself, the bulbs of 100 W lamps are lowered into the water up to the sockets themselves. They must be selected with an external nut so that the lamps can be adjusted relative to the height of the socket. In addition, 2 lamps will be required to duplicate the heaters. They are connected in parallel to the thermostat load.
5. The tank is filled with water to the brim. To make it possible to drain it, the container is equipped with a valve (4) on the side. Additionally, it is recommended to line the tank with a heat insulator - 40 mm polystyrene foam. In this case, if there is a power outage for 10-12 hours, the water will only cool by 0.5-1°C.
6. The structure itself is made of a wooden frame consisting of 5 bars measuring 40x40 mm, as well as 2 trays: the lower one (6) is used for baths with water, and the upper one (7) is used for laying eggs. The upper tray should be made of 12 mm thick planks, and the bottom of the incubator should be lined with a mesh with 13x13 mm cells. You already need to put it on it nylon mesh for storing eggs.
7. The front wall of the upper tray is sealed with double glass (8) to retain heat in the chamber and control the temperature inside it. Wooden plates (9) are attached to the glazed frame. For this, screws and PVA glue are used. These pads should protrude beyond the front wall on all sides by approximately 20 mm in order to seal the tray with foam pads and prevent heat leakage from the outlet chamber.
8. The lower wooden tray (6) must have a 2 mm thick fiberglass bottom (10). It needs to be attached to the frame with screws from below. The bottom should protrude 20 mm from the sides of the tray so that, if necessary, the container can be pushed along the grooves sawn into the wooden pads (11) into the incubator itself. At the front, you need to attach the cover plate (12) to this tray with screws. It is advisable to cover the front part with foam plastic.
9. At the bottom of the frame there are bars with 9 holes on each side with a diameter of 12 mm. They need to be opened to ventilate the incubator. Additionally, you should also make the upper through slots (14) 180 mm long. They should be on the right and left at the top of the frame. Thus, the top of the slots should be level with the bottom of the tank. In addition, they need to be equipped with small valves of two halves.
10. The finished frame is sheathed with foam plastic and fiberboard on all sides.

Small incubator made from a plastic bucket

If a farm hatches a small number of eggs, it is best to make a small-sized incubator from a plastic bucket with a lid. The diagram of this design is as follows:

Making such an incubator is very simple:

1. Cut a small viewing window in the lid.
2. WITH inside attach a source of thermal radiation to the lid. It is enough to use 1-2 incandescent lamps.
3. Place a mesh egg tray in the middle of the bucket.
4. At a distance of 70-80 mm from the bottom, drill several ventilation holes in the side wall.
5. Pour some water into the bottom of the bucket to create the desired level of humidity.

In such an incubator, the tray with eggs must be turned over regularly. To do this, it is enough to slightly change the inclination of the bucket, but taking into account that the angle of inclination should not be more than 45 degrees.

How to make an incubator from an old refrigerator?

The body of an old refrigerator is excellent for making an incubation unit, since it is quite spacious and has the required degree of tightness and thermal insulation. This option is especially attractive for amateur poultry farmers, since it involves simple installation, which is obvious from the design drawing:

To convert a refrigerator into an incubator, you need to perform several steps:

• instead of shelves for storing food, install trays with eggs;
• insulate the walls from the inside with polystyrene foam;
• for ventilation, make holes in the walls and install a fan;
• install incandescent lamps for heating, and a thermostat for temperature control;
• to maintain the desired level of humidity, place trays with water on the bottom;
• Make a metal lever to turn the eggs.

Thus, to refurbish a refrigerator, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:

• egg trays with grids – 3 pcs.;
• tray rotation handle;
• 100 W light bulbs – 6 pcs.;
• fan;
• thermostat sensor;
• thermometer;
• psychrometer;
• water tray;
• metal plates- 2 pcs.;
• window glass;
• scotch;
• drill;
• screwdrivers;
• screws.

Dismantling the refrigerator is performed in the following order:

1. Drill in the lid and bottom of the refrigerator 4 through holes with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm to ensure natural air exchange.
2. Attach a fan to the top wall.
3. Install a thermostat on the lid.
4. Attach light bulbs to the side panels - 4 on top and 2 on the bottom. Connect them to the thermostat. You can simply attach 2-4 lamp sockets to the ceiling of the camera using ordinary self-tapping screws and run electrical wiring to them.
5. Install temperature and humidity sensors to the inner walls.
6. Attach metal plates to the side panels, and attach trays to them with screws. They should look to one side and the other at an angle of 45 degrees.
7. Attach a metal lever or handle to turn the trays at the same time.
8. Make an observation window in the door and glaze it. Place a tray of water at the bottom.

To keep the heat in the chamber well, inner part It is recommended to insulate the refrigerator with foam plastic plates.

The diagram of the finished incubator will look like this:

When making an incubation box, experienced breeders recommend adhering to the following recommendations:

• To ensure uniform heating of the grid with eggs, incandescent lamps should be installed both below and under the lid.
• For natural ventilation Be sure to make several round holes in the lid.
• Provide a backup heat source in case of a power outage. To do this, at the bottom do special camera, which is separated from the rest of the incubator with three-layer plywood. Drill many holes in it. Place the aluminum canister into the resulting compartment. If the electricity goes out, you need to pour boiling water into the canister, and then close all the ventilation and cover the incubator with a blanket. The heat from the homemade battery will emanate for 12-14 hours.
• Avoid sudden shocks and noise in the room, otherwise the embryos may become frightened and lag behind in development.
• Do not use outdoor thermometers to monitor temperature, as they have a fairly high error rate. The best option– medical devices. They can be installed near the eggs, but they must not be allowed to come into contact with the shell, otherwise the accuracy of their readings will suffer. To ensure accurate data, measurements should be taken some time after turning on the incubator and at regular intervals.
• If the device is large, you can use an ordinary fan, which will help maintain the temperature balance inside the chamber.
• The incubator should be installed on an elevated surface in a room where room temperature is maintained, there is no direct sunlight and there are no drafts.

Video: homemade incubator with a revolution

The following video explains how to make an inverted incubator with two separate chambers. Its power supply is 12 W, and it can also be connected to a car battery. To control the temperature regime, a thermostat 1209 is used:

City: Tomsk

The quail incubator is a thermostatic box with humidity control. During the hatching period, it is important to ensure the stability of the incubation regime and control the possibility of turning eggs with the required frequency. You can buy an incubator or build it yourself.

Requirements for incubating quails at home

Eggs are placed in the incubator fresh, laid within a week. To increase the yield of chicks, the parent stock is kept separately. For 30 minutes, females are alternately placed in a cage with 3-4 males for fertilization. This will allow you to get a brood of up to 80% of the set.

Eggs are taken of medium size, without cracks, with a clean shell. Before laying, the eggs are examined using an ovoscope to ensure the presence of an embryo. The incubator is installed in a warm, dry room.

For the development of embryos, certain conditions are required:

1. For two days in the incubator the temperature is maintained at 37.7 degrees, humidity 60-70%, the eggs are not turned.
2. Including the fifteenth day, eggs are turned after 2 hours to prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell.
3. Before hatching the eggs, the temperature must be reduced to 37.5 0 2 days in advance, the humidity must be maintained at 90%, periodically spraying the surface of the eggs with a spray bottle.

Development of the chick until hatching is 17 days. The hatched chicks must dry in the incubator for 24 hours.

The embryo remains viable even in the absence of heating for a short time. In this case, the eggs are removed from the incubator and cooled to 15-18 degrees. In the future, incubation of quails can be continued, but the date of hatching of the chicks will shift.

Humidity in the chamber is maintained using installed water blocks and adjustable ventilation ducts. The temperature is set automatically or manually using accurate thermometer, not indoor. To turn eggs without opening the chamber of the quail incubator, the nets with eggs are turned left and right by 45 0 using a lever brought out. The eggs in the net are placed vertically, with the blunt end up.

A yield of 75% of the deposited material is considered normal. The remaining eggs may be unfertilized or “dormant.”

The design of factory-made quail incubators can have automated egg turning and precise control of modes. But usually such devices are designed for stable power supply. There is no backup battery provided. Purchased quail incubators are universal; you can hatch chicks and goslings in them by changing the mesh and operating mode. However, the chambers in the devices allow the laying of 100-300 eggs. The incubator is expensive. Therefore, more often in a rural farmstead you can see people working for quails with their own hands.

Principles for building a homemade incubator

Many thermostat designs made by craftsmen, with drawings and step-by-step instructions can be found in reference books and on websites. Depending on the material at hand, the number of eggs in the bookmark, and the backup power source, choose suitable design not difficult.

Select a wooden box of the required size. In order to maintain a stable temperature and humidity inside, you need to insulate the walls. The outside walls can be lined with polystyrene foam boards, roll insulation, and topped with plywood. Conduct finishing inner surface so that the cavity can be washed and disinfected.

An old refrigerator is perfect for making a quail incubator. A sufficient chamber volume makes it possible to obtain a durable, functional device.

To monitor the condition of the eggs, place glass on top and drill several holes to ventilate the chamber. To install nets with eggs, make stops and a sealed hatch. To create the required humidity, install an evaporator at the bottom of the chamber. The nets with eggs should be higher so that the quail does not drown in the bath.

To heat all the eggs evenly, an internal fan is installed on the upper and lower grids, which turns on periodically. There must be enough air space in the chamber for turning the nets with eggs at 45 0 and for manipulating the eggs. The tray with eggs should be at least 10 cm above the floor level. The distance to the ceiling or upper viewing glass is calculated depending on the heating used. If these are 40 W light bulbs, then the distance from them to the grid should be at least 10 cm. The grids can be turned over manually and automatically.

Trays for eggs can be made by stretching nylon fishing line or other material onto a foam frame. The main condition is that the laid eggs do not roll over when the tray is turned over, and the hatched chicks should not fall into the cells.

Usually, quail incubation at home is carried out using mains power. For emergencies, a battery connection must be provided. To control the temperature in the chamber, you need to buy a mercury thermometer, which is used to control the operation of temperature sensors. Room thermometers do not provide the required accuracy. The thermometer is installed so that it does not touch the shell. Humidity is measured with a psychrometer.

Breeding quails in an incubator at home is easier than other breeds of birds. The chicks hatch more viable and dry in the incubator for 24-48 hours before being removed. It is important to create a mist in the chamber with a fine spray during the period when the babies hatch, so that the shell is easier to separate when broken by the beak.

The incubator should be installed on an elevated position. During the hatching period, there should be no sudden shocks or noise in the room. Surprisingly, embryos can get scared and freeze in development.

Hatching quails in an incubator at home will reduce the cost of purchasing young animals when fattening the livestock for meat. A simple device to reduce costs and allow you to raise your own healthy poultry flock.

Quail incubation - video