How to make an incubator?
Before starting to make an incubatorwith your own hands, you need to decide how many eggs will be placed in it at the same time. The most simple in manufacture are considered such incubators where it is possible to place no more than 50 eggs. The fact is that they do not need a fan. Uniform heat distribution throughout the whole volume can be achieved due to the most optimal distribution of heating elements. So, how to make an incubator with minimal costs?
Incubator housing
It is best to make an incubator from chipboard or plywood. The heater can be a foam, felt or foam. Ready-made housing can serve as beehive hives, packing boxes or an old refrigerator. The area of the base is chosen based on the area that the eggs will occupy. Between the walls of the incubator and the edges of the tray for better air circulation, a gap of 6-10 cm is necessary.
How to make a home incubator with a normalventilation? For this purpose, 6 holes with a diameter of at least 1 cm are made in the bottom of the incubator for 50 eggs. They should not be closed with a bowl with water, which must be at the bottom of the incubator in order that the air humidity in it be optimal. From the bottom of the incubator to the surface on which it is located should be at least 3-5 cm for free access of air to the ventilation holes. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it accumulates in the bottom of the incubator and exits through the ventilation holes. In the ceiling of the incubator there should be a viewing window, approximate dimensions of which are 10 cm x 10 cm. It should be covered with glass, which during the incubation is kept slightly pushed back by 1.5 cm to ensure the ventilation flow. In one of the walls there must be a door so that you can turn the eggs and change the water in the tray.
Tray for eggs
Hatch eggs lay in a wooden trayin the form of a frame. It is pulled on a metal or kapron grid with cells 5 x 5 mm. The tray must be fenced and extended like a desk drawer.
To be able to turn all the eggsAt the same time, a movable frame without a bottom should be installed in the tray. Its width should be 4 mm smaller than the inner width of the tray, and the length of the frame is 10 cm shorter than the tray. On the frame, between its narrow sides, fix the slats to 8-10 cm from each other. Eggs are placed between these slats. When you turn the movable frame, the eggs at this time should be turned 180 degrees.
Heating system
For the normal withdrawal of chickens it is extremely important to correctly place the heating elements in the incubator. How to make a home incubator with a good egg heating system?
The most optimal distribution of heat throughoutThe volume of the incubator is obtained only if the heating elements are located on top. With this arrangement of the heat source, the heat transfer is maximal, since the cold air that enters through the ventilation holes does not have time to mix with warm air. The distance from the eggs to the heating element is directly dependent on the type of heater.
If you use as a heatera point source of heat, for example a light bulb, then this distance should be at least 25 cm. If the heater is a spiral made of nichrome wire, then such a heater is located 10 cm from the tray.
The incubator for 50 eggs can be heated by a totalthe power of light bulbs of 80 watts. It is advisable to choose their lower power. For example, it is better to put 25 watts 3 bulbs than 2, but 40 watts each. If the connection is parallel-serial, then the number of lamps is doubled.
Temperature control
Before you make an incubator with your own hands,you should purchase an electronic temperature controller. For incubators at home, the best way is to use a temperature control up to 300 watts. With it, you can maintain the set temperature with an accuracy of 0.2 * C in the range of 34 to 40 degrees.
