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How to make an incubator at home with your own hands. Do-it-yourself automatic egg incubator: diagrams and drawings, step-by-step video instructions. Components and tools required for the job

Spring has come, which means that it is not too late to start breeding birds. The most faithful assistant in this matter will be an incubator. With this device, you can "hatch" chickens both for yourself and for sale. You only need fertilized eggs. The advantage of an incubator is that everything can be controlled here, chickens are born in warmth and cleanliness.

In this instruction, we will look at how to make a simple do-it-yourself incubator. A 60 watt light bulb will be used here as a heating element. The author made the case from such a publicly available material as polystyrene. For homemade, you will need to buy one that will turn the light bulb off and on, keeping the temperature in the specified range. So, let's take a closer look at how to assemble such an incubator.

Materials and tools used

List of materials:
- 60 watt light bulb;
- sheet foam or ready-made box;
- ;
- fan from the computer;
- a plastic container or something similar;
- 12V power supply;
- wire;
- carrying;
- switch, wires, heat shrink and other little things.

List of tools:
- drill;
- soldering iron;
- screwdriver.

Manufacturing process of the incubator:

Step one. Case for controller
Make a case for the controller out of plastic, plexiglass, or other similar material. This will protect its elements from mechanical damage, as well as from falling water and dust.

Step two. We assemble the circuit and test
First of all, we will prepare a 12V power supply with a current of 2.5A. It is needed to power the fan, as well as to power the controller. A laptop power supply or something similar will do. We solder the wires "+" and "-" to the corresponding contacts to the controller. We also connect a carrier with a light bulb to the controller. We apply voltage to the 220V light bulb, and also turn on the power supply. On the controller, set the desired value in degrees, at which the device will turn off the power.

Now bring the sensor to a burning light bulb. When it reaches the set temperature, the light will turn off. When it cools down, the controller will turn on the light bulb again and so on.

Step three. Fan and light bulb installation
The system has a fan from the computer. It is needed in order to evenly distribute heat throughout the incubator, as well as to ventilate it. We fasten the fan with screws to the base, for which the author used a plastic container. Then water is poured into it for moisturizing.

Install the bulb socket. For this, the author used a wire, with the help of which we fasten the cartridge to the fan housing. The light bulb should look down without touching the container.

Step four. Hull preparation
Let's prepare the case, the author has a foam box. Holes must be drilled in it, as ventilation must occur. The author drills holes in two walls so that the fan draws air through one side and then blows it out through the other. You can also drill holes in the lid.

Step five. Electronics installation and connection
Outside the case, install the power supply, as well as the temperature controller. We drill holes and fasten the devices with plastic ties. It's fast, convenient and quite reliable. Well, then we connect the necessary wires and try if everything works. Wires also need to be fixed just in case.

At the bottom of the incubator, using a wire bracket, the author installed a sensor. This will allow you to control the temperature at the bottom, where it is the lowest. That's all, now you can configure the device!

Step six. Setting
You can customize the incubator, these settings depend on which bird eggs you will be using. Chicken will need a temperature in the region of 37-37.5 degrees Celsius. To do this, set the limit value of 37.5 on the controller, if the temperature rises above, the controller will turn off the light bulb. And also set the step to 0.5, which means that the controller will not turn on the light until the temperature drops below 37.0 degrees.

That's all, now pour some water into the plastic container, it will evaporate and humidify the air. This is very important for chick hatching. Place a thermometer inside the incubator to see if the system is working properly. Turn on the incubator and check it out.

In home gardens, the use of large industrial incubators may not be practical due to their large capacity. To grow a small number of poultry, compact devices are needed, which you can do with your own hands, using available tools and materials.

We will give several ways to make incubators. However, even a homemade device must meet certain requirements, which you will learn about from this article.

How to make your own egg incubator

Breeding poultry is a fairly profitable occupation, but for the uninterrupted production of productive young animals, you need to buy or make a device with your own hands in which young animals will be bred.

How to make an incubator for chicken eggs or quails with your own hands, using improvised materials, you will learn from the sections below.

What to pay attention to

For the full breeding of young birds, certain recommendations and requirements regarding the use of the device and its manufacture should be followed:

• The temperature regime at a distance of two centimeters from the eggs should not exceed 38.6 degrees, and the minimum temperature is 37.3 degrees;
• Only fresh eggs are suitable for incubation, which should not be stored for more than ten days;
• In the chamber it is necessary to maintain an optimal level of humidity. Before pipping, it is 40-60%, and after the beginning of pipping - 80%. Humidity levels must be reduced before chicks are taken.

The breeding of young poultry also depends on the location of the eggs. They need to be placed vertically (sharp end down) or horizontally. If they are located vertically, they should be tilted to the right or left by 45 degrees (when laying goose or duck eggs, the degree of inclination is up to 90 degrees).

If the eggs are placed horizontally, they must be turned at least three times a day by 180 degrees. However, it is best to carry out a coup every hour. A few days before pecking, the turns are stopped.

Rules

If you are interested in how to make a homemade incubator, you should know that this device is made according to certain rules.

To make you will need:

1. Housing made of material, well retaining heat (wood or foam). This is necessary so that the temperature inside the device does not change during the hatching process. You can use an old refrigerator, microwave or even a TV as a case.
2. For heating they use ordinary lamps (from 25 to 100 W, depending on the size of the camera), and to control the temperature, they put an ordinary thermometer inside the device.
3. To keep fresh air inside need to provide ventilation. For small appliances, it is enough to drill holes in the side walls and bottom, and for large incubators (for example, made from a refrigerator), several fans are installed (under and above the grate for).

Figure 1. Common types of incubators: 1 - with automatic rotation, 2 - mini-incubator, 3 - industrial model

Trays or grills can be bought or made from metal mesh. It is important that there is space between the trays for free air circulation.

Peculiarities

The incubator must be well ventilated. Preference should be given to forced ventilation, as the constant movement of air will maintain the required temperature and humidity inside.

Figure 1 shows the main types of incubators that can be used to breed young birds in a household plot.

How to auto-rotate eggs in an incubator

Models without manual turning are not very convenient, since a person needs to constantly monitor the process of hatching and manually turn all the eggs. It is much easier to immediately make a homemade incubator with auto-rotation (Figure 2).

Instruction

There are several options for arranging auto-rotate. For small appliances, you can simply equip a mobile grid, which is driven by a small roller. As a result, the eggs move slowly and gradually turn over.

Note: The disadvantage of this method is that you still have to control the coup, since the eggs can simply budge, but not roll over.

Roller rotation is considered more modern, for the arrangement of which special rotating rollers are installed under the grate. To prevent damage to the shell, all rollers are covered with a mosquito net. However, this method also has a significant drawback: for the manufacture of an auto-rotate system, you will have to take up free space in the chamber by installing rollers.

Figure 2. Scheme of automatic egg turning

The best method is considered to be a flip, in which the entire tray immediately tilts 45 degrees. The rotation is activated by a special mechanism located outside, and all eggs are guaranteed to warm up.

How to properly lay eggs in an incubator

The incubation of poultry should be carried out taking into account certain features and maintain the optimal mode of breeding young animals. The table in Figure 3 shows the basic requirements for breeding chickens, ducks and geese.

First of all, you should maintain the correct temperature (minimum 37.5 - maximum 37.8 degrees). It is also necessary to regularly check the humidity, determining it by the difference in temperatures on the “wet” and “dry” thermometers. If the "wet" thermometer shows a temperature of up to 29 degrees, then the humidity is about 60 percent.

Figure 3. Optimal incubation modes

The breeding regimen must also meet the following requirements:

• Turning must be done at least 8 times a day;
• When breeding young geese and ducks, the eggs must be periodically cooled in a combined way: the first half of their incubation is cooled with air for half an hour, and then irrigated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• During the hatching of young animals, the air temperature on a “dry” thermometer should not exceed 34 degrees, and humidity should not exceed 78-90 degrees.

It is important that insufficient warming, regardless of the stage, can slow down the growth and development of embryos, since chicks absorb and use protein worse. As a result of insufficient warming, most chicks die before hatching, and the surviving chicks hatch later, their umbilical cord does not heal and their stomach grows.

Underheating, depending on the stage, may cause some disturbances. In the first stage they include:

• The intestines are filled with fluid with blood;
• The kidneys are enlarged and the liver is unevenly stained;
• Edema appears on the neck.

During the second stage, underheating can provoke:

• swelling of the umbilical ring;
• The intestines are filled with bile;
• Enlargement of the heart when underheated in the last few days of incubation.

Overheating can cause external deformities (eyes, jaws and head) and hatching starts prematurely. If the temperature regime has been elevated in the last few days, the internal organs (heart, liver and stomach) of the chicks may be deformed and the walls of the abdominal cavity will not grow together.

Strong and short-term overheating can cause the embryo to dry up to the inside of the shell, swelling and hemorrhage appear on the skin of the chick, and the embryo itself is located with its head in the yolk, which is not normal.

Figure 4. Normal development of the embryo (left) and possible defects in violation of the humidity regime (right)

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures in the second half of incubation leads to early movement of the embryo in the air chamber, and unused protein can be seen under the shell. In addition, there are many chicks in the brood that hatched the shell, but died without drawing in the yolk.

Violations of the humidity regime can also provoke serious violations.(picture 4):

• High humidity causes delayed development of embryos, embryos do not use protein well and often die in the middle and end of incubation;
• If the humidity was increased at the time of pecking, the beak may begin to stick to the shell in the chicks, a goiter develops, and an excess of fluid is observed in the intestines and stomach. Swelling and hemorrhage may develop on the neck;
• Increased humidity often causes late hatching and hatching of sluggish young with bloated belly and too light down;
• If the humidity was low, pipping starts in the middle part, and the shells are dry and too strong;
• With low humidity, small and dry young hatch.

It is especially important to maintain optimal humidity (80-82%) during the pipping period. It should be noted that during all periods of breeding, one should strive to maintain such a temperature and humidity regime that exists during natural incubation.

Figure 5. Possible defects during transillumination with an ovoscope

The duration of incubation depends on the type of poultry. For example, for chickens of meat breeds, it is 21 days and 8 hours. If the normal mode was maintained, the beginning of pecking begins on the 19th day and 12 hours after laying, the chicks begin to hatch already on the 20th day, and after another 12 hours most of the young appear. During incubation, it is necessary to periodically check with an ovoscope in order to detect damage in time (Figure 5).

What is needed for this

To properly lay eggs, you need to warm up the device in advance and prepare the eggs.

For breeding young animals of any poultry, only eggs that have been stored for no longer than a week in a dark room with good ventilation at room temperature are suitable. Before laying, they must be translucent with an ovoscope and specimens are selected without damage, cracks and growths on the shell.

Peculiarities

Only eggs of the correct shape and with a characteristic shell color for a certain type of bird can be laid in the incubator.

In addition, you need to choose the right lattice that will match the size of the eggs. For example, quails require a smaller grill, and turkeys require a larger one. It is also necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with the temperature and humidity regime of incubation for each type of bird.

How to make a homemade incubator from the refrigerator

Very often, home incubators are made from old refrigerators, since the body of this household appliance is quite roomy and allows you to simultaneously hatch large batches of young birds.

You can see how to make an incubator out of the refrigerator with your own hands with detailed instructions in the video.

Instruction

Before starting manufacturing, you need to draw up a drawing and a plan for attaching all the necessary elements. You also need to wash the case and pull out all the shelves and the freezer from it.

The procedure for making an incubator from an old refrigerator includes the following steps(picture 6):

• Several holes are drilled in the ceiling for mounting lamps and arranging ventilation;
• The inner part of the walls is trimmed with thin sheets of foam to keep the heat inside the device longer;
• Trays or lattices are installed on the shelves;
• A temperature sensor is placed inside, and the thermostat is brought out;
• Several ventilation holes are drilled in the lower part of the side walls, and in order to provide a higher level of air flow, fans are installed above and below.

Figure 6. Scheme for manufacturing a household incubator from an old refrigerator

It is also desirable to cut a small viewing window in the door so that it is more convenient to observe the incubation process without opening the door.

How to make a foam incubator step by step

The body of a home-made device can be made from an old TV box or a foam box, reinforcing it with a frame of wooden slats. In the frame you need to fix four porcelain lampholders. Light bulbs for heating are screwed into three cartridges, and the fourth bulb is used to heat water in the bath. The power of all light bulbs should not exceed 25 watts. Examples and drawings for making simple models are shown in Figure 7.

Note: The middle lamp is often turned on only at a certain time: from 17 to 23-00. A bath of water to maintain humidity can also be made from improvised materials. For example, using a jar of herring, cutting off part of the lid from it. From such a container, water will evaporate better, and the lid will prevent local overheating.

A grate is installed inside a homemade incubator. The surface of the eggs on the grill must be at least 17 centimeters from the light bulb, and for eggs under the grill, at least 15 centimeters.

To measure the temperature inside the chamber, a conventional thermometer is used. To make it convenient to use the device, its front wall must be made removable and covered with cardboard or other dense material. Screws are used for fastening. Such a removable wall allows you to put trays inside the incubator, put a bath and change the water in it, as well as carry out all other manipulations.

Figure 7. Schemes for the manufacture of simple incubators from a refrigerator and a box

In the lid you need to make a window that will serve for ventilation and temperature control. The window is 12 cm long and 8 cm wide. It is better to cover it with glass, leaving a small gap in width.

For additional ventilation, three small square holes should also be made along the long wall near the floor (each side is 1.5 centimeters). They must be kept open at all times for a constant supply of fresh air.

How to make a microwave incubator

A microwave incubator is made according to the same principle as a refrigerator device. But it should be borne in mind that many eggs will not fit in such a device, so at home it is used mainly for breeding quails.

When making an incubator from a microwave oven, you need to consider some features(picture 8):

• Outside, the case must be sheathed with thin sheets of foam to stabilize the temperature inside;
• Ventilation holes are left in the upper part, and the door is not insulated and sealed for additional fresh air;
• A tray is installed inside, but since there is not enough space in the chamber for cans of water, a container with moisturizing liquid is placed directly under the tray.

Figure 8. How to make a do-it-yourself microwave incubator

It is also necessary to provide protection against overheating by installing barriers on incandescent lamps.

How to make ventilation in the incubator with your own hands

A homemade incubator also does not provide a special egg cooling system, as they are cooled for several minutes during the turning process. During the entire incubation, the temperature should be maintained at 39 degrees.

For ease of use, legs can be attached to the device. And since this equipment is very compact, and the incubation process is not accompanied by the release of unpleasant odors, it is possible to hatch young poultry even in a city apartment (Figure 9). The procedure for making a simple homemade incubator is shown in the video.

How to make a humidifier in an incubator

For normal operation of a home-made incubator, half a glass of water per day should be poured into the bath. If you want to increase the level of humidity, you can put a rag in the bath, which is washed every two days.

For laying eggs, special slats are placed with gaps between them. Reiki should be made rounded on the sides. To make it easier to carry out the coup, you need to leave free space in the tray corresponding to one egg.

Note: Eggs in a homemade incubator are turned by hand 180 degrees. It is better if the coup is carried out up to 6 times a day with an equal time interval (after 2-4 hours).

Figure 9. Drawings for making simple do-it-yourself incubators

To maintain humidity, no devices are provided in a home-made incubator, and this mode is maintained approximately. To evaporate the liquid, it is recommended to install light bulbs of 25 or 15 watts. Before pecking, the evaporator is not turned on, and if it is turned off too early, then the eggs will have too hard a shell that the chicks will not be able to break.

Breeding chickens is simply impossible without special equipment. Often poultry farmers purchase industrial devices, as they consider this the only possible solution. But making such an incubator with your own hands is not difficult at all. In this case, the device will not only be much cheaper, but also fully meet the requirements of the breeder.

Breeding chickens is simply impossible without special equipment

For the manufacture of the simplest home-made apparatus, foam is used. Making such an incubator yourself is very simple.

For the manufacture of the simplest home-made apparatus, foam is used

• Styrofoam;
• cardboard boxes;
• scotch;
• light bulbs and cartridges;
• thermostat;
• a pair of fans that are used in computers;
• liquid container;
• thermometer;
• plastic trays.

The entire manufacturing process is reduced to several stages. They need to be followed in this order:

1. Preparation of drawings taking into account all dimensions.
2. In accordance with the drawing and dimensions, the necessary elements are cut out of the foam and attached to each other with adhesive tape.
3. Electrical wiring is done in the finished box.
4. All walls of the box, both from the inside and from the outside, are covered with cardboard.
5. Holes are cut in the cardboard for light bulbs and fixing trays.
6. A hole is made in the upper part, which is covered with plastic. Thus, a viewing window appears.
7. Fans are fixed.
8. Liquid containers are installed at the bottom.
9. At the final stage, the trays are fixed and the light bulbs are screwed in.

From an old refrigerator

For manufacturing, you can use a two-chamber or ordinary old refrigerator

For manufacturing, you can use a two-chamber or ordinary old refrigerator. As in any other case, work begins with the preparation of a drawing and drawing up a diagram according to which all elements will be connected. All the shelves are pulled out of their own refrigerator.

To make such an incubator, you must be guided by the following instructions:

1. From the inside of the future structure, several holes for lamps are drilled in the ceiling, as well as through for ventilation.
2. The walls are covered with sheets of expanded polystyrene, which will help retain heat.
3. An egg tray is made from old lattices.
4. At the top, from the outside, a thermostat is fixed, and from the inside, a sensor.
5. Several holes are drilled in the bottom for ventilation.
6. A pair of fans is fixed at the bottom and at the top.

A small hole is cut out in the door, which is covered with plastic and coated with sealant.

With automatic egg flip

In order for the incubation process to be correct and successful, the eggs must rotate periodically.

In order for the incubation process to be correct and successful, the eggs must rotate periodically. Doing this manually is both inconvenient and undesirable, since this violates the temperature regime. That is why it is recommended to independently assemble a device equipped with a rotary mechanism.

For this you will need the following materials:

• sheets of plywood and wood bars;
• Styrofoam;
• tray;
• net;
• 4 lamps;
• metal plates;
• liquid containers;
• worm gear motor.

The assembly of the autoincubator is as follows:

1. Using bars and plywood, assemble the frame.
2. The structure is sheathed with foam from the inside.
3. To turn the eggs in automatic mode, they think over the main mechanism - they install an electric motor.
4. An axis is made in the upper part of the box, on which the trays will be installed in the future. For this, a grid is used.
5. A pin is made from the plates, connected to the axis of the coup and brought out.
6. A rod is screwed to the motor and connected to the tray and pin.
7. Light bulbs are installed at the bottom of the apparatus and covered with metal plates.
8. Install a thermometer and containers for liquid.
9. Small holes are made for ventilation.

Thanks to this automatic design, incubating even 1000 eggs will be easy and simple, because there is no need for constant manual turning.

Tiered construction

To increase productivity, devices consisting of several tiers are often used.

To increase productivity, devices consisting of several tiers are often used. It is much more difficult to assemble such a design, but if you take care of the preparation of drawings, the installation process will become much easier.

Assembly is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. The body is built from plywood.
2. A removable door is made from the back of the plate.
3. The space inside the box is divided into three compartments. The distance from the ceiling to the side partitions should be about five centimeters.
4. Trays are installed in the side compartments.
5. To turn the trays over at the same time, fix the handles on each of the trays.
6. The middle compartment is equipped with a thermostat and heating elements.
7. Each compartment has its own door.

Heating system

Regardless of the type of incubator and the materials used, special attention must be paid to the heating system

Regardless of the type of incubator and the materials used, special attention must be paid to the heating system.

There are a number of requirements that must be met:

1. Heating elements are placed both under the trays and on the side, top and around the perimeter.
2. The distance from the heating system to the tray must be at least 25 centimeters in the case of using light bulbs and 10 centimeters when heated with nichrome wire.
3. Ensure the absence of drafts.
4. The error of the maintained temperature is allowed no more than half a degree.

The regulator can be used in several ways:

• bimetallic plates;
• barometric sensors;
• electrical contactors.

Particular attention is paid to safety measures, since all home-made devices are fire hazardous.

Even a novice poultry farmer can make an incubator on his own. But there are a number of points on which productivity directly depends:

1. Heat must be maintained at all times, even if there are power outages. To do this, a special battery must be provided, into which hot water is poured. By covering the structure with a blanket, you can keep the temperature for about twelve hours.
2. Heat must be distributed evenly. So that there is no need to constantly rearrange the trays, it is recommended to equip the device with two heat sources - one from above and the other from below.

On farms or individual farms, it often becomes necessary to breed chickens at home. Of course, laying hens can be used for these purposes, but it will take a long time to grow chickens naturally at home, and the offspring will be small.

Therefore, for breeding chickens at home, many use an incubator. Of course, there are industrial devices used for large industrial productions, but for small farms, simple incubators are also perfect, which you can easily do with your own hands.

Today we will tell you how to make an incubator with your own hands, from the simplest to the more complex.

How to make an incubator out of a cardboard box with your own hands?

The easiest do-it-yourself incubator for breeding chickens at home is a cardboard box design. It is done like this:

• cut a small window in the side of the cardboard box;
• inside the box, pass three cartridges designed for incandescent lamps. For this purpose, it is necessary at an equal and small distance make three holes at the top of the box;
• lamps for the incubator should have a power of 25 W and be at a distance of about 15 centimeters from the eggs;
• in front of the structure, you should make a door with your own hands, and they must correspond to the parameters of 40 by 40 centimeters. Door should be as close to the body as possible. an incubator so that the design does not release heat to the outside;
• take boards of small thickness and make a special tray out of them in the form of a wooden frame;
• put a thermometer on board such a tray, and place a container of water measuring 12 by 22 centimeters under the tray itself;
• up to 60 chicken eggs should be placed in such a tray, and from the first day of using the incubator for its intended purpose, do not forget to turn them.

So, we have considered the simplest version of the incubator with our own hands. If it is necessary to grow chickens in a minimum number at home, this design will be quite enough.

High Complexity Incubator

Now let's look at how to make a more complex incubator with your own hands. But for this you need to follow the following formalities:

• if the openings of the chamber for ventilation are closed, then the chamber must be completely sealed;
• when opening the ventilation holes, the air should be mixed evenly, otherwise the temperature inside the chamber will not be uniform and this is very bad for the chickens;
• it is desirable to equip the incubator with forced ventilation.

You can also equip your home incubator with a special device that can automatically turn the tray over with eggs and save you from this work. So, turn eggs once an hour with your own hands. In the absence of a special device, the eggs are turned over at least every three hours. Such devices should not come into contact with eggs.

The first half day, the temperature in the incubator should be up to 41 degrees, then it is gradually reduced to 37.5, respectively. The required level of relative humidity is about 53 percent. Before the chicks hatch, the temperature will need to be lowered further and the importance should be increased to 80 percent.

How to make an electronically controlled incubator with your own hands?

A more advanced model is an electronically controlled incubator. It can be done like this:

• the frame for the incubator is made on the basis of wooden beams, then it is sheathed with plywood on all sides;
• the axis is attached to the upper part of the chamber, then a tray is attached to it at the rate of 50 eggs maximum;
• the dimensions of the tray are 250 by 400 mm, its height is 50 mm;
• the tray is made on the basis of a 2 mm metal mesh;
• from the inside, the tray is covered with a nylon mesh. Eggs are laid out so that their sharp end is at the bottom;
• for heating, take incandescent lamps (4 pieces) with a power of 25 W;
• to create the required level of humidity in the chamber you need a white tin bath 100 x 200 and 50 mm in size, filled with water. Three copper arcs of wire in the form of the letter P are soldered to the bath, 80 mm high;
• you need to attach a fabric to the wire, which can increase the surface of water evaporation;
• to get air inside the chamber in the ceiling, you need to make 8 holes with a diameter of about 20 mm each. 10 holes of the same size should be made in the bottom panel. Thus, air will enter the chamber from below, be heated by incandescent lamps, and when it exits through the upper holes, it will heat the eggs;
• install in the incubation chamber special temperature sensor, which will regulate the temperature level.

In the first six days of operation, the temperature inside the incubator should be kept at 38 degrees. A then it can be gradually reduced half a degree a day. In addition, you will need to turn the tray with eggs.

Once every three days, you will need to pour water into a special bath and wash the fabric in soapy water in order to remove salt deposits.

Self-assembly of a multi-tiered incubator

An incubator of this type is automatically heated by electricity, it must operate from a conventional 220 V network. To heat the air, six spirals are required, which taken from the tile insulation of the iron and connected in series with each other.

To maintain a comfortable temperature in this type of chamber, you need to take a relay equipped with an automatic contact measuring device.

This incubator has the following parameters:

• height 80 centimeters;
• depth 52 centimeters;
• width 83 centimeters respectively.

The build looks like this:

• the frame is made on the basis of pine bars 40 mm long;
• on all sides, the bars are upholstered with plywood with a thickness of 3 mm;
• free space between the bar and plywood filled with dry shavings or sawdust, you can take foam plastic in order to insulate the structure;
• the door in the form of a separate panel is attached to the rear wall of the incubator frame;
• hinged type canopies are used as fasteners.

Inside the incubator is divided into three compartments by installing three partitions. The side compartments should be wider than the middle compartment. Their width should be 2700 mm, and the width of the middle compartment - 190 mm, respectively. Partitions are made of plywood 4 mm thick. Between them and the ceiling of the structure there should be a gap of about 60 mm. Then, corners measuring 35 by 35 mm made of duralumin should be attached to the ceiling parallel to the partitions.

Slots are made in the lower and upper parts of the chamber, which will serve as ventilation, thanks to which the temperature will be the same in all parts of the incubator.

Three trays are placed in the side parts for the incubation period, and one will be needed for output. To the rear wall of the central part of the incubator a contact type thermometer is installed, which is attached with a psychrometer to the front.

In the middle compartment, a heating device is installed at a distance of about 30 centimeters up from the bottom. A separate door must lead to each compartment.

For better tightness of the structure, a three-layer flannel seal is covered under the cover.

Each compartment should have a separate handle, thanks to which each tray can be rotated from side to side. To maintain the required temperature in the incubator, you need a relay powered by a 220 V network or a TPK thermometer.

Now you are convinced that you can make an incubator for breeding chickens at home with your own hands. Of course, different designs have different complexity of implementation. The complexity depends on the number of eggs and on the degree of automation of the incubator. If you do not make high demands, then a simple cardboard box will be enough for you as an incubator for growing chickens.

Spring is an amazing time of the year! When the snow melts, the birds that fly away for the winter arrive, and the first leaves appear on the trees, rarely anyone wants to think about work. However, as you know, a good owner prepares for different weather in advance, and feeds the month for a year.

It is in the spring that residents of private households begin to think about updating the number of poultry. After all, chickens are fresh eggs and meat, and of excellent quality. You can, of course, wait until the crocodile appears, but modern breeds are too capricious in this regard, so a much more reliable option is to assemble an egg incubator with your own hands and use it to hatch chickens. You can also purchase a ready-made factory solution, but this will require much more money. In this regard, a homemade egg incubator is more appropriate.

One task, many solutions

There are several approaches to solving this issue, sometimes seriously different from each other. So, if you need to assemble a small incubator with your own hands and hatch 20-50 chickens, then the laboriousness of this work will be insignificant. But if a brood is needed on an industrial scale (for example, for a small farm), then the cost of money and time will be much higher. Accordingly, in the first case, you can worry much less about the quality of the product, using the principle “it works - and okay”, because 20-30 chickens will hatch out of 50 eggs anyway.

Thus, everyone decides for himself how to assemble the incubator with his own hands and what costs are allowed. We list the main points that must be considered when designing and assembling any incubator:

The percentage of hatching depends on the stability and uniformity of heating. Therefore, the heat source must be optimally positioned to avoid "dead zones";

The ventilation system must be efficient enough. If it is represented by simple ventilation holes, then they must be placed at different levels;

Be sure to take care of a backup power source in case of unforeseen outages. Sometimes almost the entire brood is lost due to accidents on power lines in the last days of incubation.

The most budget option

A do-it-yourself incubator for a couple of dozen eggs can be made from a simple cardboard box with a lid. In its upper part (at the corners of a conditional equilateral triangle) three holes are made, where three lamp holders are built in. With a distance from the surface of the eggs to the lamps, which is not more than 20 cm, 25 watts is sufficient. There are 8 small ventilation holes in the bottom wall. At the bottom of the box, a simple frame of slats is installed, covered with a fine mesh - it is on it that the eggs are laid. Fasteners for a thermometer are made in the center of the structure: it should be flush with the surface of the eggs. A temperature sensor is fixed next to it, fixing the temperature and controlling the thermostat. Under the tray is placed a container with low sides, filled with water - its evaporation creates the necessary humidity. To top up the liquid in the paper wall, a kind of door is provided through which the container can be removed. From the first day of incubation, the eggs must be rotated daily to ensure uniform heating. Although such a do-it-yourself incubator seems simple, it is quite effective. With a box size of 650x450x600, 60 chickens can be hatched.

Improvements

The design of the incubator can be improved by placing a mirror film (substrate) on the inner walls, which reduces heat loss. Also, a cardboard box can be replaced with a homemade box made of foam sheets, since its service life rarely exceeds two seasons.