Chook Me!

how to build a simple chicken incubator please answer 10 points best answer?

the materials that i have is a metal container and plastic water, light bulb 40 watt, extention cord, eggs. but if need more item you can tell me please answer

Public Comments

1. girl i don't now yourr on with india
2. You probably need more than that here is a list of homemad brooders http://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-incubator.html
3. Hi Chaze, the materials you have are not good beginning for an incubator. Look, metal, any kind of metal is a good conductor of electricity. Your goal is to keep the temperature inside the incubator as stable as possible. If the eggs suffer severe changes in temperature, the chick inside will die (slow cooked or cold). By severe, for most common eggs like chickens, quails or ducks, I mean 6 or 7 degrees Fahrenheit is already a lot and you are risking your chick's life. Plastic is not a good insulator either, so you will meet with the same problem. If you want to build a home made incubator I propose you begin with insulation material. White Styrofoam works fine and is pretty cheap. What I did with good results was to purchase a cooler and then I modified it (basically inserting the bulb and a dish of water and a thermometer). You can get second hand coolers almost anywhere. If you live in the U.S. you could also acquire a Styrofoam cooler. They are sold in many places and very, very inexpensive. Once you have your insulating material, you have to make a box out of it (if it is not a box already). You need to get a thermometer too. Set a grid where the eggs can rest and set your light bulb some how so you can move it. You need to keep the thermometer in the same place where the eggs will be and you need to keep that area at a constant temperature. The temperature you need for incubation of most eggs is 98.6 degrees F. This is by definition but in reality it can go up or down by a couple of degrees. Do not let the temperature change too much or the chicks will suffer and even die. You need to set a dish with water somewhere in your incubator as well. The eggs need high levels of moisture. If you have a container with water in the incubator, that should do it. The water vaporizes and the moisture will keep the eggs' shells soft and nice for the chicks to hatch. Good luck with you adventure :) is going to be a great one.