How to Construct an Egg Incubator

You can build a simple incubator with easy-to-find items. Once you build it, you can use it to hatch a variety of egg types, chicken, turkey and guinea fowl.

Things You'll Need

  • Styrofoam ice chest
  • Thermometer
  • Shallow pan or bowl 4 inches across
  • 1/4-inch wire mesh
  • Light bulb screw base with cord
  • Various sized incandescent light bulbs
  • Sheet of plexiglass 7 inches square
  • Metal jar lid
  • Tape
  • Box cutter
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Instructions

  1. Construction

    • 1
      Wire mesh

      Cut the 1/4-inch wire mesh 4 inches larger than the bottom of the Styrofoam ice chest. Cut 2-inch squares out of each corner and bend the edges down to make a platform that is 2 inches high.

    • 2

      Cut a 6-by-6-inch hole in the top of the ice chest. Cut the plexiglass to just a little larger than the hole and fasten with tape.

    • 3

      Place the shallow pan filled with water in the bottom of the ice chest, and place the wire mesh platform over it. The water in the pan will put some humidity into the incubator.

    • 4

      Put the metal jar lid, rim side up, on the wire mesh platform. Lay the light bulb base in the jar lid.

    • 5

      Use a box cutter to cut a small notch in the side of the ice chest to string the cord through. Tape the cord in place on the inside and outside of the incubator.

    Testing the Incubator

    • 6

      Test light bulbs for appropriate temperature. If the 60-watt bulb makes the incubator too hot, go smaller. If it is to cool, go larger. Try different sized bulbs long enough for the incubator temperature to stabilize. The ideal temperature for chicken and most other eggs, is 98 to 100 degrees.

    • 7
      Light bulb on a base

      If the best light bulb creates a temperature just above the ideal, poke some small holes in the lid until the temperature adjusts to the desired temperature.

    • 8
      Eggs

      Once the incubator is stable at the desired temperature for a day or two, it is time to introduce the eggs.