Chook Me!

how to make a cheap homemade incubator?

i have recently found a pigeon egg in my garden and i have done candling on it and i can see a black blob inside the egg and i think it is alive. so all i need to do now is make an incubator. i need to make one but without the use of a themometer and humidifier and also without styrofome.please help!!

Public Comments

1. My friend used to incubate chicken eggs with just a box 2ft by 1ft with a sixty watt light bulb in the top.
2. Incubators come in many shapes and sizes to handle every need. They can be purchased at most farm outlets, or can be constructed for just a few dollars from simple components like a box and a light bulb. Incubators are used when hens abandon their eggs, or to help eggs hatch and mature. All that is required is a space that is heated and maintained to approximately 90 to 100 degrees, depending on the type of egg being hatched. For temperature regulation in your home made incubator, any dependable thermometer can be used, as long as it includes the temperature range that your chicks will desire. Keeping the heat source and the eggs / thermometer on opposite ends of the incubator will ensure a more accurate reading. As temperature is a critical aspect of hatching the eggs, be certain all your thermometers are working properly, as any poorly calibrated equipment can lead to disastrous results. Anything from a sturdy box, an old aquarium or a cardboard egg crate can be successfully used as the housing area of your home made incubator. With the addition of some type of heat source to provide heat, the temperature can then be regulated with the aid of manipulating certain features, such as ventilation. The discarded glass aquarium works well because you can clearly see at a glance your progress or any problems that may be developing with your eggs. A small portable desk lamp can be situated inside the box for your heat source when using cardboard. Temperature is controlled by either cutting flaps in the side or the top of the incubator to allow excess heat to dissipate (heat does rise, so vents should not be near the bottom of your incubator). Another method of controlling the temperature of home made incubators is by experimenting with light bulbs of different wattage. Obviously, a 60 watt lamp will not give off as much heat as a 100 watt bulb. By combining these two techniques of flaps and different grades of light bulbs, the temperature can be effectively controlled. Once the temperature issue has been solved, then all that is left to settle for your home made incubator is some type of bedding material for the eggs. Hay, straw or dried grass can all be used - just be certain that any possible combustible materials do not come in contact with the heat source. While even a 100 watt bulb will most likely not generate enough heat to cause ignition if it is in direct contact with paper or grasses, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry.
3. How recent is recently? I see that you asked this question "1 day ago", in which now it is too late to incubate it. Eggs can only be left alone for a little while before the parents have to get back on the nest. If they are chilled, the eggs will die and won't hatch. Even if it isn't cold outside or in your house, you have to consider that pigeon eggs must be kept at approx. 99.5 degrees F to incubate properly. So getting down to room temperature is even bad for growing eggs. Most birds only get off their eggs for no longer than 5 minutes. My pigeons only get off the eggs long enough for the other one to get comfortable on the nest. But if you want to try, go ahead. I can't help you with making a homemade, effective incubator. We have always used the styrofoam incubators for our chicken/duck/etc eggs. Just make sure whatever you use, it gets up to 99.5 degrees F, about 60 percent humidity, and you turn the egg 3 times a day so that the embryo doesn't stick to the shell. When the pigeon hatches, make sure to handfeed it bird-rearing formula (Kaytee Exact is best) every 2 hours for the first few days of its life. It's very important to let the crop completely empty before you feed it again. The feedings will become less frequent as it grows older, but with more volume. It'll be weaned and able to feed itself at about a month old. Here are some nice pages that walk you through handfeeding pigeon squabs. http://pigeonracingpigeons.com/2011/03/04/care-of-the-abandoned-racing-pigeon-hatchling-part-2-feeding/ http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Recipes/handfeedinghelp.htm http://pigeonracingpigeons.com/2009/12/26/articial-incubation-and-hand-raising-young-pigeons/ (talks about the incubation and brooding part) http://www.pigeoncote.com/vet/feedbaby/feedbaby.html http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f25/incubation-when-there-is-no-alternative-4968.html Good luck! :)