How to Design a Cabinet for a Duck Egg Incubator

The cabinet that you design for a duck incubator will allow you to maintain a stable environment for developing eggs. This enclosed area will also contain essential pieces of equipment, such as the light, moisture tray, hygrometer, thermometer and the eggs themselves. Cabinet incubators withstand temperature changes well and produce consistent egg hatching results. The cabinet described below is large enough to hold up to 10 duck eggs.

Things You'll Need

  • Heavy duty cardboard box and lid, 40-inch by 25-inch by 25-inch
  • Pane of glass, 39-inch by 24-inch, 1/4-inch thick
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Sharp scissors
  • Duct tape
  • Thick towel
  • Light socket and electrical flex
  • Light bulb, 100 watt
  • Small glass bowl
  • Hygrometer
  • Thermometer
  • Three point plug
  • Cardboard box without lid, 8-inch by 8-inch by 4-inch
  • Cotton wool
  • Duck eggs
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the lid of the 40-inch by 25-inch by 25-inch box and place the box on a clean work surface.

    • 2

      Lay the box on one of its 40-inch long sides. Measure and mark out a rectangular shape, 2 1/2-inches from each edge of the 40-inch side.

    • 3

      Cut out the rectangular shape, leaving a 2 1/2-inch frame around the entire side of the box.

    • 4

      Place the glass pane over the opening in the box and secure it to the frame around the edges with duct tape. Ensure that the tape is correctly placed and creates a seal around the glass.

    • 5

      Turn the box over and lay it on a towel on its glass side. Hold the light socket against the side of the box and mark the area that it covers.

    • 6

      Cut out a hole over the area that you have just marked. Turn the box onto its bottom, so that the glass pane faces forward. Place the light socket and attached electrical cord into the box and thread the cord out through the hole. Position the socket within the hole and secure it in place with tape.

    • 7

      Place the 100 watt light bulb into the socket.

    • 8

      Place the bowl onto the floor of the box and add one pint of water. The water will help keep relative humidity at its optimal reading of 55 percent (according to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Cornwell University).

    • 9

      Tape the hygrometer, which you will use to read the relative humidity, to the inside of the box. Hygrometers are available through veterinary product outlets.

    • 10

      Tape the thermometer to the inside of the box. According to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Cornwell University the ideal temperature for your eggs is 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit .

    • 11

      Place the 8-inch by 8-inch by 4-inch cardboard box on the floor of the larger box. Place the cotton wool into the 8-inch box.

    • 12

      Connect a three point plug to the electrical cord. Plug the cord into a wall power source.

    • 13

      Place the lid on the cardboard cabinet and wait 24 hours for the temperature and humidity to equalize.

    • 14

      Carefully place the duck eggs onto the cotton wool, which will keep them from rolling around in the box and possibly cracking.

    • 15

      Regulate high temperatures and humidity by opening the lid as required.