We build an incubator ourselves

The wide range of incubators available on the market does not mean that any of them will fully meet our requirements. In this case, there is an alternative, namely to build your own hatching apparatus. There are many structural components that we can freely choose so that the whole meets our expectations. Below are descriptions of the basic components for incubators.

Case

The housing of the incubator should be made of high-quality plastic, which will provide stable thermal insulation and will be easy to disinfect. It is worth adding that it is a good idea to mount a transparent window in the lid, which will allow you to observe the course of the incubation process. In addition, it is important that there are also holes in the housing through which excess carbon dioxide will be discharged, along with other harmful fumes.

Immersion heater

Under natural conditions, the hen incubating the eggs, provides them with the necessary heat needed for the proper development of the embryo. During incubation in the nesting apparatus, the heater is responsible for this function. It is the basic heating component of any hatching device. The main output power of this element is 100W. However, this is a relative value, because there are various heaters available on the market, ranging from shape to power and type of building material. Most often they are made of flexible materials, so that they can be easily adapted to the shape and dimensions of a given device. The materials from which heaters are usually made are aluminum and copper alloy.

Ventilator

During the incubation process, you should not forget about the flow of fresh air, which can only be provided by an efficient fan. In combination with the heater, the fan creates a ventilation and heating system, which is responsible for the uniform distribution of heat throughout the breeding chamber. The profiling of the wings has a significant impact on the smoothness of air circulation. The blades, bent at the right angle, effectively mix and disperse air. Fans differ from each other in design, which can be open (ossible fan) or closed (device in a housing). For protective purposes, with an open structure, it is worth installing a special grille that would cover the wings of the rotating fan.

Tray for the marketing of eggs

Manual turning of eggs does not adversely affect incubation, provided that it does not last too long. Under natural conditions, the hen also leaves the nest, e.g. for food. Therefore, the tray for the marketing of eggs, although it is not one of the necessary elements of incubator equipment, its use is associated with numerous benefits. First of all, the trays, thanks to their profiled holes, protect the eggs from damage. In addition, they significantly increase the comfort of work by automating the rotation of eggs. Thanks to this, the breeder is able to save a large amount of valuable time, and his work is less burdensome. With the issue of the tray, it is necessary to mention two modes of rotation of eggs - semi-automatic mode (using a key) and automatic mode (motor connected to the power supply). In addition, some models of trays have interchangeable attachments, thanks to which it is possible to incubate eggs of smaller sizes.

Thermoregulator

If we want a precise temperature setting, we should equip our incubator with a special thermoregulatory module. It is coupled with the heater, thanks to which we can program the temperature at which it is to work. The optimum incubation temperature is 38^oC. It should be taken into account that the module needs time to stabilize the temperature, so do not be afraid if at the beginning the temperature will differ from the one set. What's more, the above device controls the operation of the heater - it turns it off when the right temperature is reached, thus saving energy consumption.

Additional equipment

Each nesting apparatus can be expanded with additional elements that facilitate and improve work during the hatching process. One of them is higrocontroller - an electronic module that can control any element that controls humidity m.in a heater or solenoid valve. In addition, in combination with the humidity pump, it exercises full control over the appropriate degree of moisture inside the incubator. What's more, if our design does not include a thermoregulator, we can buy an analog or digital thermometer to monitor the temperature level. The last item that will be useful to every bird breeder is ovoscope, also called a x-ray machine. With its help, we can determine whether the embryo inside the egg is developing properly.

To sum up, building your own hatching apparatus is not the easiest, but it is also not too complicated if we have basic information about the idea of incubation. If we want to create a device that completely meets our expectations, nothing stands in the way of constructing it ourselves.