Homemade Chick Incubator

A homemade chick incubator can be used as a fun educational project for children or as a way of increasing your chicken population at home. Regardless of the reason, the materials used for making a homemade incubator are readily available at most hardware stores and can be assembled quite easily.

  1. Supplies

    • The base of this homemade incubator is going to bemade using a styrofoam cooler that people often use for picnics since styrofoam is both easy to work with and retains heat well. You will need to purchase a wired light socket with a switch, which you should be able to find in the lamp or general lighting area of any hardware store. Be sure to also get a light bulb, a glass picture frame that is smaller than the cooler in width, a utility knife, carpenter's glue, a small battery operated fan, a small glass bowl and a thermometer.

    Construction

    • The first thing you want to do is trace the edge of your bulb-less light socket in the center of the cooler's lid and use the utility knife to cut the circle out. Insert the light socket into the hole so that the bulb side is down and the switch is on the outside. If the circle was precisely cut, the socket shouldn't need additional support staying in the lid but you may use some carpenter's glue to secure it in place if you wish. Next, remove the glass panel from the picture frame and trace it on the side of the cooler. Use the knife to remove a rectangular section slightly smaller than the one you traced and then use the carpenter's glue to secure the glass panel in front of the rectangular hole. Since the inside of the incubator will get rather hot, poke some holes in the side of the cooler for ventilation using a screwdriver. Place the thermometer in a visible place inside the cooler then put the small glass bowl and small fan inside as well. Screw the light bulb into the socket and place the lid on the cooler. Your incubator is essentially complete.

    Incubation

    • When you are ready to incubate the eggs, be sure to fill up the glass bowl with water for humidity purposes. Plug in and turn on the light switch and allow the incubator to heat to approximately 100°F before placing the eggs inside. Once the eggs are settled, monitor the temperature closely. Turn on the fan if it gets too hot or tape up some of the holes on the side if it doesn't get warm enough. Turn the eggs three to five times a day for about twenty days but leave them untouched the last few days prior to hatching so the chick can get into hatching position. If all goes well, your chicks should hatch from the eggs by day 23.