Recently, caring for chickens at home has become increasingly popular due to increasing public awareness about the bad things that are raised on factory farms. Hatching chicken eggs can also be a fun family project. Although the cost of purchasing an incubator is quite expensive, you can make a simple home incubator. You may already have the materials you need in your home.
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Part 1 of 2: Making an Incubator
Step 1. Make a hole in one end of the synthetic cork cooler (styrofoam)
This hole will hold the bulb and socket. Insert the light socket and attach a 25 watt light bulb. Tape a large piece of tape around the holes and sockets from inside and outside the cooler. This is important to reduce the risk of fire.
You can also use a small box, but synthetic cork coolers are the most effective because they are insulated
Step 2. Divide the room in your refrigerator in two
Use chicken coop wall wire or other hard-wired gauze to separate the sides of the cooler where the light bulbs are attached. This is done so that the chicks do not burn.
Optional: Create a faux floor using chicken coop wall wire slightly above the floor of the cooler. This will make it easier for you to clean the chicken droppings when they hatch
Step 3. Add a digital thermometer and humidity meter
Place it on the side where the eggs will be placed. Since the main function of the incubator is to maintain the optimum temperature and humidity inside, make sure that the thermometer and humidity meter are of high accuracy.
Step 4. Add a bowl of water
This is the source of your incubator's humidity. Also put a sponge in the incubator so you can easily adjust the amount of water.
Step 5. Create an observation window on the lid of the cooler
Use the glass from the photo frame, and determine how big the hole needs to be. Supposedly, the hole is slightly smaller than the size of the glass. Then, secure the glass with a large piece of tape so that it sticks tightly to the hole.
Optional: Make hinges on the cooler box lid by gluing large tape from the top of the box cover to the incubator box wall
Step 6. Test your incubator
Before adding the eggs, turn on the light and monitor the temperature and humidity of the incubator for a day or so. Adjust the heat and humidity until they are at the optimal level. The incubator temperature should be at 99.5 degrees during incubation. Optimal humidity varies: usually between 40-50 percent for the first 18 days and 65-75 percent for the last four days
- To reduce the temperature, poke a hole in the side of the cooler. If the temperature gets too cold, cover the hole with tape.
- For moisture, suck water with a sponge to reduce the humidity and squeeze water into the bowl to increase it.
Step 7. Add chicken eggs
You must prepare the fertilized eggs: the eggs sold in the store cannot be used. If you don't have chickens, the best way to get them is to contact a local breeder. Group these eggs close together to keep the temperature constant.
- Egg quality depends on the health of the chicken that lays it. Therefore, ask the farm manager if you can inspect the chicken farm before buying. Hens kept free are healthier than those kept in cages.
- The optimal hatching rate is 50-85 percent.
- Laying hens are usually smaller in size and are raised to produce eggs. On the other hand, broilers are bred to grow big. These chickens tend to be larger and grow faster. However, there are also chickens that are bred for dual functions. Ask your local breeder about the varieties of chickens you have.
Part 2 of 2: Incubating Eggs
Step 1. Monitor time and vital statistics of eggs
Chicken eggs usually hatch in 21 days, so it's important to know exactly when the eggs are placed in the incubator. In addition, monitor the temperature and humidity of the incubator.
Step 2. Rotate your eggs
Turn the eggs in quarters or semicircles three times a day for the first 18 days. It's a good idea to turn the egg so that the side facing down is now facing up, and vice versa. Mark one side of the egg with an "X" and the other side with an "O" so you don't get confused.
Step 3. Candling after the first week
Candling also lets you know which eggs are infertile and ugly. To do this, hold the egg in a bright light in a dark room to see what's inside. You can buy a candlestick kit, but a small, bright flashlight can be used in any situation. If you find eggs that are ugly and infertile, remove them from the incubator.
- If you are using a flashlight, the lens should be small enough so that the light is directed directly at the egg.
- You can also make a homemade candlestick set by placing a table lamp in a cardboard box with a small hole in the top. Place the egg over the hole to see through it.
- You should gently turn the egg vertically or horizontally for a better view of the contents.
- The live embryo will appear as a dark dot with some blood vessels spreading from that point.
- Dead embryos appear as rings or streaks of blood within the shell.
- An infertile egg looks bright because there is no embryo in it
Step 4. Listen to the sound of chicks hatching
On day 21, the chicks will be fiddling with their shells so they can breathe after breaking the air sacs. After this point, pay close attention. The time it takes for chicks from fiddling with the shell to hatching out can be up to 12 hours.
