Homemade Poultry Duck Incubator

Homemade duck incubators are commonly designed from recycling old appliances, such as refrigerators, grills and pie safes into the frame of the incubator. The primary components include shelves for the eggs to rest on, adequate light bulbs to provide heating, and the proper air circulation and humidity for the duck eggs to thrive.

  1. Materials

    • Since the incubator is homemade, the materials made to construct the actual frame and many of the interior parts can vary depending on the resources and the required size of the project. Hollowed out old appliances, such as a refrigerator or pie safe can be used. Because these products usually come with shelves already installed, they are preferred. But homemade duck incubators can be made entirely from scratch, using plywood and 3/16-inch window glass.

    Electricity

    • Electrical wiring for the incubator will provide heat and the circulation of air, both of which are important to the incubator. In addition to light bulbs, thermostats and fans for an air circulation system will need to be wired into the incubator. Previous familiarity with electricity is highly recommended before beginning work on wiring. Incubators should be kept at a temperature of 99.5 degrees in an incubator with forced air, while 101.5 degrees is preferable for a still-air environment.

    Humidity

    • Humidity for ducks should be 63% during most of the incubation period. But for the last three days, the humidity should be elevated to 70%. To control the humidity, simply place a large pan of water on the bottom floor of the incubator. The heat from the light bulbs and internal temperature will provide the necessary humidity.