Directions to Make an Incubator
Hatching eggs can be fun and educational. If you want to try your hand at collecting and hatching your own eggs, you will need an incubator to make the process successful. Commercial incubators are expensive. Even though you will get best results using a commercially manufactured incubator, you can make your own incubator at home using everyday products. A homemade incubator, such as one made from cardboard, is inexpensive and easy to make.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 Cardboard boxes
- Yard stick
- Box cutter
- Glue
- Insulation
- Mesh screen
- Cake tin
- Heating element
- Tape
Instructions
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1
Insert a smaller cardboard box into a larger cardboard box. The exact measurements are not important. What is important is that the smaller one is at least 16 inches by 20 inches and at least 13-inches tall, and the larger one is at least 18 inches by 22 inches and at least an inch shorter than the smaller box.
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2
Draw a line on the inside box that is 1/4-inch lower than the height of the outer box. To ensure the line is perfectly straight, remove the box and use a yardstick to draw the line. Use a box cutter to cut the smaller box along the line you just drew.
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3
Place the pieces you cut off in Step 2 on the bottom of both boxes to make a liner.
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4
Use glue to adhere the smaller box to the inside of the larger box. The boxes should be centered so that there is a 1-inch gap all around the smaller box.
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5
Fold the flaps of the larger box in until they are touching the smaller box. Mark a line where this occurs. Use a yardstick to keep the lines straight. Use a box cutter to cut the flaps of the larger box along the lines you just cut. Cut the corners on a diagonal so that they will lay flat together.
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6
Insert insulation in the gap between the two boxes. You can use cut-up strips of newspaper, wood shavings or Styrofoam. Be careful not to overstuff. You do not want the inner box to bulge inward.
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7
Cut a piece of 1/4-inch mesh screen larger enough to cover the top of the large box. Cut 2-inch squares off of each corner of the mesh screen. Bend the edges of the screen down to form a lid. This will be the cover for your incubator.
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8
Insert a cake tin into the smaller box. It should be 1 1/2-inches deep and about 9-inches wide by 13-inches long. The tin should cover approximately half of the bottom of the box.
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9
Place your heating element into the box following the directions that came with it.
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10
Use tape to adhere the cut flaps of the larger box to the smaller box, sealing off the insulation.
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11
Incubate your eggs as you normally would, making sure to place your mesh screen cover back on top.
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Tips & Warnings
Once you begin the incubation process, do not turn your eggs during the last three to four days of incubation. Then transfer your eggs to a hatcher.
References
- Photo Credit chickens after incubator image by Kryuchkov Alexey from Fotolia.com
