When intending to make an incubator with their own hands, owners are often interested in what materials and type of construction to choose for making the device and what conditions need to be created for the successful incubation of healthy chicks. Different types incubators differ in their performance characteristics and the specifics of handling eggs. The article outlines these differences and describes the process of creating an incubator with your own hands at home.

Where to start creating an incubator?

Before you begin work on creating a system for hatching chicks at home, you need to:

• Select camera material. The most significant criterion is the ability to retain heat. The preferred choice is large pieces of polystyrene foam, and the worst choice is a cardboard box (the easiest way to make an incubator with your own hands). Refrigerators that are no longer in use are also used.
• Decide on the size of the structure - it depends on the number of eggs placed at a time and the type of bird.
• Select devices to maintain the required air temperature. A thermometer is used to measure indicators, and lamps are used for heating. Sometimes they buy a thermostat.
• Decide whether the design will be equipped with an automatic egg turning mechanism. It will require investment, but will save time resources. More often the mechanism is used for large systems that can accommodate two hundred eggs.

What you need to create a homemade incubator

To construct a homemade incubator with your own hands, you will need to purchase or make its elements:

• Egg trays are made of wood and plastic. The bottom is slatted or made of mesh. You can purchase an option with automated turning (the eggs turn after a time interval specified by the user). A water tray is also installed.
• A housing with good thermal insulation properties, ensuring constant temperature inside the structure without sudden changes. It is made from foam or plywood sheets.
• Incandescent lamps installed in corners (for small the device will do element is 25 W; for large ones, a 100 W model is used). The distance from the lamp to the tray should be at least 15 centimeters.
• Thermometer.
• Fans - will be required if the structure is made from the body of a refrigerator. Then they will need to be installed at the top and bottom. In other cases, to ensure ventilation, it is enough to make holes with a diameter of 1-2 centimeters in the lid and on the wall near the bottom.

What conditions must be maintained in a homemade incubator?

Of great importance for the normal formation of chickens is compliance with temperature regime. For the first two days, for chicken and goose eggs, you need to keep the temperature at 38-38.5 degrees Celsius, gradually lowering it to 37.5 by days 19-21. For ducks and turkeys these parameters are 37.8 at the beginning and 37 at the end. Quail eggs are kept at a temperature of 37.5 throughout the incubation period (16-18 days). Humidity is also important - at the beginning it should be in the range of 45-60%, by last days it is increased to a value of 75-80%.

How to make your own incubator for chicken eggs: step-by-step instructions

Methods for manufacturing the unit differ depending on the source material for the housing. Below are the most available options.

How to make an incubator from polystyrene foam with your own hands

The advantages of foam plastic as a material for a bird hatching unit are excellent thermal insulation properties, cheapness and ease. To make a foam incubator with your own hands, you will need tools and components:

• two sheets of material 5 cm thick;
• four incandescent lamps - for the small design in question, 25 W lamps are sufficient;
• scotch;
• soldering iron for cutting holes (the material crumbles easily when cutting with a knife);
• set of trays;
• thermometer;
• liquid glue;
• fan.

Sequence of work:

1. The side walls are made from the first sheet by cutting it into 4 equal parts.
2. The walls are glued together.
3. From the second sheet, make a base 40 cm wide and a lid 60 cm wide (the length of both parts is 50 cm).
4. The sides of the base are coated with glue and inserted into the wall blank.
5. Cover the resulting box with tape to make the structure more rigid (starting from the bottom).
6. Install foam plastic bars 6 cm high at the bottom, on which the trays will be placed.
7. Drill 2 holes for ventilation with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm at a centimeter height from the bottom.
8. Install lamps.
9. Install a thermostat with outside covers, the sensor is placed on the inside, making a small hole under it.
10. Place the tray - it should be at a distance of at least 4 cm from the walls.

DIY incubator with automatic and manual turning

To make a homemade incubator with automatic egg turning, you will need to purchase a turning device. The types of egg turning mechanisms used are:

• Movable mesh – suitable for small incubators. When it moves slowly (automatic or manual), the position of the eggs changes.
• The roller mechanism is used less frequently: its independent production requires many small parts.
• An automatic mechanism that rotates the trays after a set time has elapsed is used in large units.

How to make a device for hatching chicks from a refrigerator or plywood

The refrigerator structure is prepared as follows:

1. Shelves and containers for storing food are removed from the chamber.
2. 3-4 bottom ventilation holes are drilled.
3. Fans and lamps are installed. Depending on the size of the chamber, 2-4 fans will be required, placed next to the lamps.
4. An inspection window is mounted in the lid or wall.

You can construct a model from plywood sheets. Its dimensions and arrangement differ little from those of foam plastic. The walls of the housing must consist of two layers of material, between which insulation is mounted. A viewing window with sliding glass is installed in the roof, allowing ventilation of the incubator.

How to make an incubator out of a box - the easiest way

The simplest do-it-yourself incubator is constructed from cardboard. This material has the least strength and does not retain heat well. The process differs from working with foam plastic:

• Blowing holes are made at a height of 3-4 cm from the bottom.
• The slats for the tray are attached 6-7 cm above the bottom; a store-bought egg carton is used as a tray.
• Holes are made in the roof for a lamp (in the center) and a thermometer (on the edge), as well as a viewing window.

Advantages and disadvantages of homemade incubators

Do-it-yourself manufacturing is beneficial for the following reasons:

• Cost savings compared to the factory version by 2-3 times.
• Possibility of breeding several species of birds in one incubator, provided the recommended temperature conditions are similar.
• High survival rate of chicks - up to 90%.
• Low power consumption.
• Ease of manufacture.

The downside is the need to take care of turning the eggs - do it regularly (recommended frequency is once every 8 hours) manually or purchase a special mechanism.

, current question for both amateur poultry farmers and professional farmers.

Industrial devices often have high price, and their application inappropriate in conditions little ones homestead farms.

To remove poultry V small quantities are quite suitable home. Moreover, to design it with desire will be able every.

Important points when making an incubator

At independent manufacturing very important moment is to create comfortable, maximum close to natural, conditions for breeding birds.

First of all it is worth taking care to constantly maintain the necessary temperatures inside the incubator and arrangement in it ventilation.

When mother hen hatches eggs independently, creating natural temperature and humidity for normal development of chicks.

IN artificial conditions, the temperature in the incubator must always be maintained at 37.5–38.6 degrees at a humidity level of 50–60% . And for uniform distribution and circulation warm air is used forced ventilation.

Attention: violation of the temperature regime at any stage incubation period(overheating, underheating, excessive or insufficient humidity) can lead to a significant slowdown in the rate of development of chicks.

In particular, excessive humidity in the incubator negative affects embryo development in the egg and can lead to the death of the chick before it is born.

Insufficient humidity air in the device makes an egg shell overdried and very durable that unacceptable when hatching.

Making an incubator with your own hands

To create an automatic incubator with your own hands You will need to make or purchase the following from the store: equipment:

• Frame for the incubator itself;
• Tray system;
• A heating element;
• Fan;
• Automatic turning mechanism.

Incubator body

Corps for a homemade incubator it can serve, washing machine made from plywood box and even unclaimed Bee hive.

To maintain inside the incubator comfortable microclimate(heat preservation), walls the housings are sealed (most often with polystyrene foam), and for entry inside fresh air small holes are made.

Size incubator and quantity in it, egg trays are selected based on needs owner.

Tray system

As trays for eggs you can use durable metal mesh with cells size 2.5 cm. There will be trays hold on on special pins, which in turn will carry out automatic coup fixed trays.

L = (H-((N+15)*2))/15

Where L– number of trays, H- height of the refrigerator, N– distance of trays from heating elements.

For example: Height incubator 1 meter. To calculate the maximum number of trays for an incubator, subtract from it distance to the heating elements with a margin 6 cm(to avoid overheating), multiply on 2 and divide by height necessary for ventilation. We get:

L = (100-((6+15)*2))/15 = 3.86

Maximum amount trays required to create an incubator is equal to four.

A heating element

To maintain a constant temperature in a large incubator can be used heating spirals from irons, connecting them in series.

For small designs, you can get by with several incandescent lamps average power. They can be placed both “above” and “below” the trays at a distance not less than 20 cm.

Note: When installing lamps, be sure to place a thermometer in the incubator to accurately control the temperature and install a bath of water so that the air inside the device is moist. To control humidity, a psychrometer is used, which can be purchased without any problems at any pet store.

Fan

IN small a homemade incubator will be enough one fan, For example, from an old computer. Air circulation very important in arranging the incubator and plays key role in a brood of chicks.

In addition to uniform distribution of warm air, the fan pumps up inside necessary for eggs oxygen and removes carbon dioxide. To ensure air flow into the device, it is necessary to make several holes size 15-20 mm.

Automatic turning mechanism

Rotary pins on which the trays will be attached must be perfect aligned evenly to prevent distortion of the entire structure. A mechanism parts, connecting the trays and driving them rigidly secured between themselves.

As drive low-power ones (up to 20 watt) reduction motors And sprocket chain.

Note: To smoothly rotate trays with eggs, you must use a chain with a minimum pitch (0.525 mm).

For complete automation process, is added to the motor power circuit relay(switch) which will on one's own turn the engine on and off.

It is important to know: Before loading eggs and starting incubation, you need to check and test the created system for 3-4 days. Stabilize the temperature and humidity, experimentally find a place for the fan and start the turning mechanism, stabilize the turning speed and the angle of inclination of the trays.

So, manufacturing of automatic incubator at home no cost for modern technologies, the task is quite doable. Main- compliance sequences the actions described above and extreme attentiveness to the work.

For design you can use improvised means: frame old refrigerator, washing machine, a box made of plywood or chipboard, for wall insulation- polystyrene foam or an old blanket will do, computer fan will ensure uniform distribution warm air throughout the entire volume of the structure.

Following video talks in detail about an incubator for hatching eggs with your own hands:

A 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:

1. The required number of eggs to lay,
2. 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,
• Containers with water to maintain humidity,
• Thermometer.

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

Models with manual tray rotation

For the manufacture of simple incubators at home, a minimum of materials and tools are required, and they can be made in a few hours. Disadvantages: 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. The drawings will help you assemble the body and correctly distribute the internal space. 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 of 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 wooden beams are placed on top. A bath of water is placed on the resulting tray, and a regular store-bought egg tray is placed on the slats. To allow fresh air to enter from above, another 3-4 holes, about 5 mm in diameter, are made in the lid. 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:

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

Automated Models

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

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 internal 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:

1. Thermostat for hatching and incubation chambers,
2. Emergency thermostat,
3. Voltage stabilizer 10 V,
4. Heater for incubation compartment,
5. Heater for outlet compartment,
6. Spare heater connected to the backup power supply,
7. Backup battery for 12 V incubator,
8. Psychrometer,
9. Tray rotation mechanism,
10. 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. The set temperature in the chambers is maintained by independent thermostats and heating elements, and electronic thermometers are responsible for temperature control. 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. Backup power 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.

To be supported inside set temperature air, 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 tray, it is recommended to take 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.

The minimum distance of the heating element from the tray is 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.

When breeding birds on a private farm or on a farm, you simply need an incubator in which the chicks are hatched artificially. For a small number of eggs it is not advisable to buy it. Therefore, many poultry farmers knowledgeable about the device This device, they prefer to make it with their own hands.

If you know how to hold a tool in your hands, then making an incubator will not be difficult for you, especially since it is also economically profitable. The entire process of hatching chicks in the incubator will take place under supervision, and the young will grow up healthy and strong.

Advantages of homemade incubators

Many poultry farmers believe that an incubator is a complex device, so it’s unrealistic to make it yourself at home. In fact, making an incubator with your own hands is quite simple, and it can be done at minimal cost.

When making the device yourself, you can choose the desired dimensions and supplement it with the necessary functions such as adjusting the temperature or turning eggs. Since such a design will consist practically of improvised materials, it will be economically profitable, which is one of the advantages of the device.

Other advantages of a homemade incubator include:

• reliability in use;
• possibility of breeding various types birds;
• obtaining chicks within the required time frame;
• ensuring the survival rate of young animals up to 90%;
• self-selected bookmark sizes required quantity eggs
• low power consumption.

Preparatory work

No special materials or tools are required to make the structure. Materials that are found in almost every home are suitable.

First of all, it is necessary determine the size of the device for raising chickens. They depend on the type of future poultry being raised, the number of young animals and the conditions of placement of the incubator itself. For example, the design for quail eggs should be smaller than for chicken and duck eggs. The slope of the trays is also taken into account, which should be different for each type of bird.

To provide eggs with constant warmth and required humidity It is best to make an incubator with a housing, which can be homemade or taken from an old refrigerator.

The main components of the incubator are:

• body with insulation;
• egg trays;
• heating system;
• devices for monitoring temperature and humidity in a structure.

Making incubators with your own hands

At home, the body can be made from cardboard boxes, a basin, chipboard sheets, foam plastic, wooden beams. By applying your imagination and using available materials, you can make a high-quality incubator.

From a basin or bowl

The easiest device to make for breeding chickens can only be used if power outages are possible. An incubator is being made from two containers of the same size, which can be used as basins or bowls. It is desirable that they be metal.

The bowls are placed one on top of the other, and fastened on one side furniture canopies or other devices. There should be space between the bowls to accommodate the eggs. The top bowl in this design will serve as a lid. Since the containers are round, the eggs in them will heat evenly.

A 2 cm layer of sand is poured into the lower bowl and covered with foil. Hay or straw is placed on top. To allow moisture to evaporate, several holes are made in the foil.

A cartridge will be inserted into the upper bowl, for which you need to make a hole. If the capacity is large, you will need several light bulbs.

To the center assembled structure You should place a thermometer at the height where the eggs will lie. The incubator is installed in a place where always the same temperature. Then it should be warmed up, after which it can be filled with eggs of quails, chickens or other birds.

If the lights are turned off at home, the device will need to be covered with a blanket and placed in a pan with warm water. In summer it can be taken out in the sun, and in winter it can be placed near the radiator.

Sand in this design serves as an air humidifier and heat accumulator, so it needs to be moistened regularly. Eggs should be turned and sprayed daily.

Incubator out of the box

You can make such a cost-effective device with your own hands quite quickly.

Manufacturing stages:

Styrofoam incubator

Good thermal insulation material available in almost every private home. Therefore, making an incubator for chicken or quail eggs from foam plastic with your own hands will not be difficult. In addition, you can choose its dimensions yourself.

Manufacturing stages:

1. The cut pieces of foam are fastened in any convenient way.
2. Light bulbs are inserted into the top cover at a distance of 15 cm from each other. You can buy a special heater for the incubator. However, light bulbs cope with their functions quite well and are the most budget option.
3. The tray can be purchased or made from wooden planks. For quails, the cell sizes should be 5x5 mm.
4. The tray with eggs is placed in the middle of the structure so that the distance to the heating elements is equal to the distance to the container with water.
5. It is necessary to leave space between the laid eggs and the walls of the homemade box for air ventilation.

Using an old refrigerator

Making a device from an old refrigerator is the best option. This is explained by the ability to use several chambers and ready-made thermal insulation. It is very convenient to use the refrigerator even when if the power goes out in the house. You can simply put a closed container with hot water, which will keep the eggs warm for a long time.

You only need to make ventilation holes, install incandescent lamps, a fan, water trays and a thermostat.

Stages of work:

1. The freezer and other unnecessary parts are dismantled.
2. A window is cut out in the door and sealed with glass.
3. Egg trays are secured.
4. There are two light bulbs installed at the top of the refrigerator, and four at the bottom.
5. The gyroscope and thermometer are attached so that they can be seen through the window.
6. A container of water is placed at the bottom of the refrigerator.

Can buy special trays with an egg turning mechanism and install them in the incubator from the refrigerator. They will make the job easier for those who cannot pay enough attention to hatching the bird. In addition, when installing automatic turning, the number of openings will be reduced to a minimum, which is very important when breeding birds.

Quail incubator

Many poultry farmers are interested in the question, what should an incubator for quail eggs be like? Designs for birds of this species are made according to the same principle. They differ only in size.

A quail incubator should be two to three times smaller than a chicken incubator. In a ready-made incubator, which was intended for chickens, Three times more quail eggs will be included.

When making an incubator with your own hands, you should keep in mind that its assembly requires attention and precision. The slightest disturbance in humidity or temperature can lead to egg spoilage.

In our difficult times, when prices for goods are rising at an inexorable pace, you will always find an area in which you can profitably apply your practical skills and theoretical knowledge. Looking at the cost of an incubator manufactured in industrial conditions, you can easily calculate the benefits of self-made similar device. Moreover, to make home incubator It's not that difficult to do it yourself.

This is what a forum user says about his homemade incubator with mechanical egg turning geniuscat.

geniuscat

Briefly: an incubator for 60-70 chicken eggs, the turning is mechanical using a special grid, I don’t do it automatically at all. Heating using light bulbs, two chains. Temperature control using an electric contact thermometer. I don't trust electronics. Temperature spread across corners is 0.5 degrees. Cheap and cheerful. If you have the components, you can make an incubator in 3-4 hours.

The most important thing in manufacturing is to ensure the ability to maintain optimal performance humidity and temperature inside the device, as well as create conditions for timely turning of eggs in order to heat them evenly.

Incubator body

In most cases, the basis of everything is the body. And the incubator in this case is no exception.

During the manufacture of the case Special attention Care should be taken to ensure good thermal insulation for the future device. This will allow you to avoid future troubles associated with maintaining strict temperature conditions in the incubation chamber.

Porous materials are quite suitable for making a body. polymer materials, penoplex (expanded polystyrene) 20 mm thick, etc. You can also use fiberboard or chipboard sheets, but you should create double walls with foam, felt or foam core.

The size of the incubator will directly depend on the number of eggs that are planned to be placed in the chamber at the same time. The height of the inner chamber of 50 cm will be quite enough. The area of ​​the inner base will be equal to the area of ​​the egg tray. But you need to add about 50 mm to it on each side. This is the gap that should be between the tray and the incubator body to ensure air circulation. In the lower base of the incubator, it is imperative to drill several holes with a diameter of 10 mm, through which air exchange will take place between the internal space of the chamber and external environment(the incubator must be constantly enriched with oxygen). For an incubator designed for 50 eggs, 6 holes are enough.

Attention! The lower holes should be positioned in such a way that they are not blocked by a baking tray (plate) with water, which will be installed in the chamber to maintain a sufficient level of humidity.

To ensure unhindered air movement between the bottom of the device and the surface on which it will be installed, there must be a gap of 30...50 mm. A viewing window of 100x100 mm, covered with glass, should be made in its top cover. If there is no forced ventilation in the incubator, then the glass should be opened slightly during operation, leaving a gap of 10...15 mm.

And one more nuance: one of the side surfaces of the incubator must have a door for changing water and other actions related to servicing the chamber.

Incubator tray

In order for the eggs to be carefully placed in the interior of the incubator, we need to make a special tray. In our case, it can be made based on wooden frame, which is covered with a fine mesh underneath. Both an ordinary mosquito net, used in the construction of modern double-glazed window windows, and a metal (maybe different) mesh with a cell size comparable to 5x5 mm (but no more) are suitable as a mesh. In order to prevent the mesh from sagging, a couple of small slats can be nailed to the bottom of the tray, which will comprehensively strengthen the structure of the tray.

To make it more convenient to turn the eggs during incubation, the tray should be equipped with an insertable wooden grid. For convenience, you can make several gratings at once, having different sizes internal cells. So, for quail eggs, a grid with a cell size of 45x35 mm is suitable, for chicken egg you need cells measuring 67x75 mm. If you want to put goose eggs in the incubator, then the cells must be of the appropriate size - 90x60 mm. The width of the grid should be 5 mm smaller than the tray itself. The length should be shorter by 50...60 mm - for quail eggs, 80...90 mm - for chicken eggs and 100...110 mm - for goose eggs. Thus, by moving the grill along the tray, you can turn the eggs 180 degrees. In order to heat the eggs evenly over time, a similar procedure should be performed approximately once every 2 to 3 hours.

Egg turning tray

The height of the sides of the tray itself should be 70–80 mm. The tray should be installed on legs 100 mm high.

This is the most simple design tray, allowing you to turn all the eggs at the same time. But in order to make the incubator design more modern, the process of turning eggs can be automated. And this will require some technical improvements.

How to make a revolution in an incubator

In order to automate the process of turning eggs in the incubator, it is necessary to introduce an electromechanical drive into its design, which is activated after a certain period of time (as we have already said, it is 2–3 hours). The accuracy of the time interval will be ensured by a special time relay. The relay can already be purchased at finished form. Those who like to tinker with microcircuits can make it themselves, using electronic or even mechanical watches, which are easy to buy in Moscow and in any village.

Here is what user FORUMHOUSE writes about this.

mednagolov

Nowadays it is easy to purchase Chinese electromechanical relays with a 24-hour cycle. In essence, this is a basic watch with a plug that plugs into a socket, and on the body of this watch there is a socket into which the consumer plugs, inside the clock a tiny electric motor turns. There is no need to wind them up; along the circle of the dial, marked out for 24 hours, there are “pressers” with which you set the time intervals.

The electric motor must transmit torque through the gearbox. This will help make the grate move smoothly and keep the eggs intact.

The tray grid should move along the guides. The walls of the tray can play the role of guides. But to avoid accidental jamming, this mechanism can be improved. To do this, a metal axis protruding from both ends should be attached along the central axis of the grille. She will play the role of a reliable guide. The axis will be inserted into special grooves made on the sides of the tray. This design is reliable, it can be easily assembled and, if necessary, quickly disassembled.

In order to drive the grid with eggs, we need a reciprocating mechanism consisting of an electric motor, a gearbox, a crank mechanism and a rod connecting the drive to the tray grid.

A device for turning eggs in an incubator.

As an electric motor, you can use special “motors” for microwave ovens, which are commercially available. Also, some craftsmen create an electromechanical drive based on the mechanism that is part of car wipers. Or here’s a way out of the situation that forum member Mednagolov came up with: the drive of the egg turning mechanism is electric. engine ball valve remote control d=3/4 220v (has an extremely powerful and durable gearbox, as well as microswitches for end positions).

He used the power supply from an old computer, and the time relay - a mechanism from a Chinese watch, which was written about just above.
The mechanism functions as follows: the relay closes the electrical circuit after a specified period of time. The mechanism is driven and moves the tray grid, turning the eggs. Then the limit position switches (limit switches) are activated and the grille is fixed in the opposite extreme position. After a specified time, the cycle is repeated, and the grate returns to its original position. The entire homemade process occurs without human intervention.

Incubator heating

Proper placement of heating elements in the incubator chamber is the key to success, ensuring the hatching of healthy and strong chicks. It is customary to use ordinary incandescent light bulbs as heating elements. Ideally, they are best installed above the tray with eggs, evenly spaced around the perimeter of the incubator. The tray and heating element must be separated by a distance of at least 25 cm. Light bulbs should be used in a homemade incubator low power, 25 Watt, etc. The total power of the heating elements used in such an incubator should be 80 watts - for a device designed for the simultaneous hatching of 50 chicks.

The lower the power of the heating elements, the more evenly the heat is distributed in the incubation chamber.

When placing lamps on the walls of the chamber, you should also ensure that they are evenly positioned around the entire perimeter. Know that using sequential electrical connection heating elements, you can significantly extend their service life. But the power of each consumer in this case will be halved. This should be taken into account when calculating the number of heating elements, because with the appropriate connection method the number of consumers will have to double.

Temperature control

As we already know, the temperature in the incubator chamber must exactly match given parameters. Otherwise, such a device is worthless. The optimal temperature for hatching chickens in artificial conditions is from 37.5 to 38.3º C. But it must be strictly observed. A regular thermostat, which can be purchased in a store without any problems, will help maintain the specified range. It is necessary that this device provides an accuracy of temperature values ​​corresponding to 0.2º C. An error greater than the presented value can be detrimental to developing embryos.

Connect the thermostat to heating elements We think it will not be difficult for a person who decides to make an incubator with his own hands. The main thing is to ensure that the temperature sensors are located near the egg tray. For more accurate readings, the sensors can even be mounted on a tray. As an additional means of control, a regular thermometer should be used. It is better if it is electronic, capable of displaying tenths of a degree. But in extreme cases, a regular alcohol thermometer will do. It should be secured in the chamber in such a way that it is located immediately above the tray. In this case, its readings can be taken by looking through the viewing glass.

Heat accumulator

JG_ FORUMHOUSE member

To make the temperature drop more slowly, you need to use a heat accumulator. I used water as TA. It provides humidification and also increases the temperature, and when turned off, it releases it for a long time, not allowing the temperature to drop quickly. Only the container with water should be large. You can just put a metal pancake or a dumbbell inside - why not?

It remains to add that without an air humidifier in the incubator, all your efforts are doomed to failure. Therefore, a baking tray or open plate filled with water can be considered one of the essential elements involved in the incubation process. As for thermal battery, then a heating pad or plastic bottle with water will never be superfluous in the internal space of your incubator.

Humidity can be monitored using a psychrometer, which can be purchased at a hardware store. Optimal humidity in the incubator should correspond to 50–55% (immediately before hatching the chicks, it can be increased to 65–70%).

Incubator ventilation

Many owners homemade incubators They believe that the fan is an integral part of such a device. But practice shows that a small incubator, the number of eggs in which does not exceed 50, can do without forced ventilation. Convection of air in it occurs naturally and this is enough to support the vital activity of the embryos.

If the chamber of your incubator is designed for a larger number of eggs, or if you want to create an ideal microclimate inside the device at all costs, then for these purposes you can use special fans with a diameter of 80 to 200 mm (depending on the volume of the chamber).

The fan can be mounted in the top cover of the incubator so that it takes air from the interior of the chamber. Part of the air flow will go out, and the main volume will be reflected from the lid and pass over the lower supply holes, mixing warm air with cold and enriching it with oxygen.

That's probably all. You can find out the various opinions of our users regarding the design, as well as get acquainted with their practical developments in this topic. We also have information for those interested in productivity. If you want to create more at home, the design of which contains powerful components and complex ventilation circuits, then you should visit this section.