Homemade Incubator Techniques

When a duck, turkey or chicken lays eggs, it's vital that those eggs receive warmth, protection and humidity. These are usually provided by the mother sitting on the nest until the eggs hatch. In some cases, however, the eggs must be hatched through artificial techniques. In that case, the person doing the hatching needs to make sure that the eggs' needs are satisfied.

  1. Warmth

    • The most obvious egg requirement is warmth. Most eggs need temperatures of 99 to 102 degrees for their entire incubation period. Any home setup should be equipped with a heat source (light bulb or heat lamp) to provide this warmth, and a thermometer to measure the temperature. An ideal setup is also equipped with a thermostat to directly control the temperature.

    Humidity

    • A little-known fact about eggs is that they require moisture to hatch. Different species of eggs require different levels of humidity, but humidity generally ranges from 50 percent to 65 percent. In homemade setups there is no way of measuring humidity levels. Anyone attempting to hatch eggs by hand is advised to spray the eggs with water at each turning, to maintain as much moisture as possible.

    Turning

    • Mother birds turn their eggs over consistently throughout the day to give the embryos circulation. It's important that people mimic this behavior when hatching eggs by hand. General wisdom is that eggs should be turned over three, five or seven times each day.

    Protection

    • Any incubation devices should be protected while it's harboring eggs. Put incubators in areas that don't get regular traffic, where they're safe from accidents. Put incubators in places where they are protected from drafts, direct sunlight and disruption. This also makes temperature control easier.