For artificial poultry breeding at home, it is not necessary to purchase expensive equipment. A self-made incubator from an old refrigerator can quite replace a purchased one. A homemade device has many advantages and can be done in several ways. Let's figure out how to make an incubator with your own hands, and what you need for this.

Incubator from an old refrigerator

A homemade incubator is made from an old refrigerator of any type. The box is freed from internal parts and trays are installed. The main elements are mounted on the side surfaces: heaters, fan and thermostat. The device can be made vertical or horizontal. There is also an option for semi-automatic egg rotation.

Did you know? The first incubators were invented in Ancient Egypt more than 3 thousand years ago.

Benefits

The incubator converted from the refrigerator has the following advantages:

1. Cost savings. A device with a similar capacity (the elements are indicated above) has a high price, compared with which DIY construction practically does not require financial costs.
2. Simplicity. Converting an old refrigerator is easy enough if you have the right materials and drawings.
3. The correct microclimate. The refrigerator is suitably designed to create and maintain the right temperature and humidity.
4. Performance. With controlled incubation, a greater number of young birds survive than in vivo. If breeding is carried out for the purpose of selling poultry, profit will increase.
5. Time saving. The time taken to create the incubator is offset by the ease of use.

disadvantages

They are fewer than advantages, but they are available. There are several main disadvantages of such devices:

1. Expenditure of energy. When creating an incubator manually, you need to prepare an old refrigerator for alterations, drawings and materials. Buying a finished device eliminates the waste of time and effort.
2. Possible mistakes. In order for the egg incubation to proceed successfully, it is important to design the unit correctly, maintaining the temperature and ventilation standards. Errors in the creation can adversely affect the subsequent removal of chicks.
3. Mandatory control. In the absence of full automation, it will be necessary to turn the eggs on their own. It is also necessary to control the power supply, since when it is turned off, the eggs may suffer or become unsuitable for further incubation.

Learn how to use the Layer and Cinderella incubators.

Basic requirements for a homemade incubator from the refrigerator

If you have never encountered the creation of an incubator with your own hands, then you should know that there are a number of requirements that must be observed without question:

1. For construction, any old refrigerator is suitable without significant damage to the case and rust.
2. Filling (shelves and freezer) are taken out or cut out by a grinder.
3. Mandatory details will be trays and containers for water.
4. As heating elements, bulbs or other devices (for example, tube heaters) are mounted.
5. Artificial ventilation is carried out using a fan; its speed is up to 5-6 m / s.

Incubator Manufacturing Options

The device can be manufactured in horizontal, vertical and semi-automatic versions. Before designing, drawings and diagrams are made, in which all the details of the future unit are detailed.

Did you know? In the incubator market, devices are classified into 3 types (according to the number of eggs laid): household (up to 200 pcs.), Farm (from 250 pcs.) And industrial (from 1000 pcs.).

Horizontal

To design this type of aggregate, you will need:

• fridge;
• plywood sheet;
• 100 W bulbs with cartridges (4 pcs.);
• egg trays;
• water tank;
• temperature regulator;
• Scotch;
• drill;
• screwdriver.

Perform the work as follows:

1. Remove the shelves and freezer from the refrigerator.
2. Turn it over so that the door opens up.
3. Attach plywood to the inside of the door.
4. Install lampholders on a plywood sheet.
5. Drill a hole in the door with plywood (5x5 cm).
6. Fill the container with water and put it on the bottom.
7. Set the egg trays.
8. Attach the thermostat near the hole in the door with tape.
9. Through the hole, run the thermostat sensors.

The incubator scheme in the context: 1 - bath with water; 2 - viewing window; 3 - a tray with an egg; 4 - temperature regulator; 5 - temperature sensor; A is the distance from the bulb to the egg

Vertical

The construction of such an incubator involves the use of:

• directly to the refrigerator;
• Fiberboard (several sheets);
• glue;
• self-tapping screws;
• a fan;
• a thermometer;
• temperature regulator;
• tubular heater;
• metal wires (6 mm in diameter);
• tanks;
• egg trays;
• welding;
• drills;
• putty knife.

Perform work in the following order:

1. Remove the shelves and freezer from the refrigerator.
2. From the inside, install the fiberboard sheets on the glue or self-tapping screws to level the surface and close the cracks.
3. Install a fan on the back wall, drive the motor to the outer wall.
4. Attach a heating element near the fan.
5. Make holes in the door around the perimeter for air circulation.
6. Drill 2 holes on the top wall and install the thermostat and thermometer.
7. Draw water into a container and place it on the bottom.
8. Build the wireframe for the trays from the wire and place them in the refrigerator.

Here's what a drawing of a vertical incubator will look like:

Semi-automatic

In order for the incubator to have a semi-automatic mode, you will need:

• fridge;
• metal strips;
• metal axes;
• self-tapping screws;
• trays for eggs adapted for axles;
• screws;
• load on the bar;
• forelock;
• breathing tubes with a diameter of 30 mm (2 pcs.);
• 100 W bulbs with cartridges (4 pcs.);
• temperature regulator;
• fan;
• water tank;
• drill;
• screwdriver.

The order of your actions is simple. The main thing is to do everything in accordance with the instructions:

1. Remove the shelves and freezer from the refrigerator.
2. In the slats, make holes under the axes.
3. Using screws, install the strips on the side walls in the center.
4. Set the axles in the trays and insert into the trims.
5. With a single bar, vertically combine all the trays by attaching it to them with screws with a gap of 1-2 mm.
6. Drill a hole in the upper part so that the connecting bar can be pulled out.
7. Pull out the bar and make a hole for the cotter pin in it.
8. Attach a load to the lower end.
9. Trays can be rotated by moving the bar; fix it with a cotter pin.
10. Install the breathing tubes on the side at a height of about one third of the refrigerator and always on top.
11. Mount the temperature regulator, bulbs and fan in the lower part of the wall so that the air from the fan heats up from the bulbs.
12. Draw water into a container and place it on the bottom.

Egg laying in the incubator

Before laying eggs in the incubator, they should be checked for suitability. Factors that do not allow the use of material for incubation can be seen visually or by transmission. It can be:

• uneven shell with cracks, broken sections;
• spots on the surface, reminiscent of stains;
• dimming, blotches and turbidity inside;
• the yolk is spilled, uneven, unformed;
• large airspace.

Important! Proper placement ensures incubation efficiency.

The best option is an egg with an even yolk in the center and a homogeneous protein, with a uniform shell and without damage, the air chamber is small and is located on the blunt side. For proper egg care for incubation, you must:

• prevent damage to the material;
• keep in a cool place until bookmarked;
• before incubation for 8-10 hours, keep at 25 ° C indoors;
• ensure proper egg placement.

To correctly place the eggs in the incubator, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Sort material in trays. You need to start by loading large eggs and continue as you decrease in size.
2. 3-4 hours should elapse between bookmarks.
3. It is undesirable to keep eggs of different species of birds nearby - this way you can violate the terms and conditions of storage.
4. Before laying eggs, it is necessary to treat the antiseptic agent or using a UV lamp.
5. Eggs need to be rotated often. In homemade incubators, this process is carried out manually and should occur every hour.

Temperature conditions for different types of birds

Eggs of different species of birds need similar temperature conditions. However, there is a certain difference in the incubator content of chicken, duck, goose, turkey and quail eggs.

View	Temperature
Chicken	37.3-37.8 ° C
Duck	37.2-37.8 ° C
Goose	37.3-37.8 ° C
Turkey	37.2-37.8 ° C
Quail	37.5-37.8 ° C

Important! Before the incubation period, it is necessary to know not only the temperature norms, but also the humidity norms and the terms of maintenance.

Given the advantages and ease of assembly of the incubator from an old refrigerator, this home-made device is an excellent option for personal use. Compliance with the rules of design and incubation will make the process effective and greatly simplify the life of the farmer.

Video: incubator from the refrigerator