However, if you incorporate air vents that you can open or close, it will give you a degree of control over the temperature inside.Īnother way to control the temperature is just to switch off the light when it gets too hot and then switch it back on again when the temperature starts to drop. Your chicken incubator needs to have some air vents anyway since chicks in eggs need to breathe, and if there is no airflow, they will suffocate before they are born. The first possibility is simply to cut some holes to create air vents in the sides of the container.

While measuring the temperature inside the chicken incubator is relatively easy, the hard part is being able to control it accurately, and here you have a couple of options. However, if you don’t have one of these or don’t want to buy one, you can just use any thermometer and hygrometer you have available instead.

If you can use one like this, it will make it much quicker and easier to read. However, a better option is to use a combined thermometer and hygrometer with a sensor that can be placed inside the chicken incubator but with a digital readout that can be attached to the outside. The simplest way to do this is to fit a digital thermometer and hygrometer inside the chicken incubator to allow you to take measurements of the temperature and humidity inside. Since it’s vital to keep the temperature and humidity levels within strict parameters, it’s essential for you to be able to measure them both accurately. Next, take some chicken mesh or something similar and fix it inside the cooler to partition the space so that the chicks won’t be able to burn themselves on the lightbulb after they hatch. This is especially important since as well as holding the light in place, it will also protect the side of the cooler from the heat and help prevent fires. You should then use duct tape to hold it in place inside and outside of the cooler. To fit a light bulb, simply cut a hole at the top of one of the narrow sides of the cooler and push through a light socket that will hold a 25-watt bulb. The next step is to add a heat source, and the easiest way to do this is to use a light bulb. This means the first thing you need to do is find a suitable Styrofoam cooler or bait box of the size you require – or choose another option if you don’t have that available. However, perhaps the easiest option is to choose a Styrofoam cooler since they are very cheap, offer insulation to keep the eggs warm and are also easy to work with. Other possibilities you could use include a plastic cooler, which has the advantage of being insulated, and we’ve even heard of people using an old fish tank. The cheapest option is simply to use a cardboard box, which, when done properly, can work well.

The first thing you need to do is choose which kind of container you’re going to use, and there are several options. Container – for example, a Styrofoam coolerĭIY Homemade Chicken Incubator (Step-by-step guide) Step 1.This article has been viewed 1,080,531 times.But you want to enjoy the fun of DIY, let’s continue. This article received 66 testimonials and 85% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. WikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. She received a BS from Oregon State in Animal Sciences. She also has a career as a Workforce Management Supervisor and has a certificate in project management.

Her work has been featured in Mother Earth News, Backyard Poultry, Grit, The Chicken Whisperer Magazine, and Community Chickens. She is known as the Quail Lady and has published several books on raising Coturnix. The farm is FWC game farm licensed, FDAC licensed for quail, chicken, and duck eating eggs and meat, and NPIP certified. With over 14 years of experience, she produces strong genetics and health in her hatching eggs, eating eggs, and live birds. She owns and manages Stellar Game Birds, Poultry, Waterfowl LLC, a selective breeding operation with game birds, poultry, and waterfowl. Alexandra Doss is a Poultry & Livestock Expert expert based in Ruskin, Florida. This article was co-authored by Alexandra Doss.

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