Large Homemade Incubators 1

DUCK INCUBATOR

Duck, Chicken, And Quail Incubator Made From Old Kitchen 

Refrigerator Converted Freezer Area Is Pictured.

This is a kitchen refrigerator with the doors attached on the right and open in both photographs. The upper freezer compartment is shown in the first photograph. The 100 watt light bulbs in the photograph produce the heat and the bathroom exhaust fan blows the heated air down through the eggs.

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The air has previously traveled through the eggs and then is sucked by the fan up a false back thus returning the air to the freezer section of the refrigerator to be reheated and sent on its way again. Fresh air joins the air being heated as the fresh air is allowed to enter by keeping the freezer compartment door slightly (one quarter inch) ajar. To the left of the light bulbs is a wafer thermostat mounted in a handy box. A small part of the lower section is shown in the top photograph to help in orienting the lower photograph with the first photograph.

Duck, Chicken, And Quail Incubator Made From Old Kitchen 
Refrigerator Converted Refrigerator Area Is Pictured

The three egg trays are connected by a strip of wood on each of the back corners. The arrangement was calibrated by leveling all three trays before attaching the strips of wood to the corners. For several years the incubator was operated as a "hand turner." By tilting one tray, all of the trays were tilted and the eggs were thus turned. Blocks were used to control the amount of the tilt. Later the automatic turner was added to the system.

 The thermostat system is a GQF electronic (#3258) thermostat backed by the wafer thermostat shown in the first photograph. The electronic thermostat is placed directly in the air flow coming from the fan in the upper compartment. The automatic turner is also a GQF. Probe thermometers are attached to the outside of the incubator (See G3) with the probes inserted through a hole and placed on the upper and lower trays.

A wire basket sits under the three trays to catch babies that hatch in the trays and fall to the bottom. Most eggs are placed in the basket before they hatch. The wiring discussion below will describe the wiring procedure for this incubator. Since this is the only one of the incubators that has a turner, note the turner like the fan must be wired to be constantly available for use.

Large Homemade Incubators 1