• Home
  • Get to Know Me
  • Blog Topics
    • Backyard Garden
    • Homestead Animals
    • Real Food
    • Simple Living
  • Contribute
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

The 104 Homestead

Homestead where you live.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

By Jessica Lane | Last updated on September 2, 2019

Turn Junk Into an Egg Incubator

  • 1.1Kshares
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Share

Do-it-Yourself Incubator Ideas

As the promise of spring is creeping around the corner, some poultry lovers are ordering their chicks, poults and ducklings online from hatcheries, contacting breeders or (like me) calling all of farm supply stores to find out when their first chick delivery is. Other poultry lovers are filling their incubator to hatch out their new spring flock.

Incubators can be very pricey and once you figure in all of the add-ons, it can really strike the pocket hard. Wouldn’t you rather spend your $$$ on eggs?

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

My Favorite DIY Incubator Ideas

I have been perusing Pinterest for some great DIY/Homemade incubators and I thought I would share some of my thrifty favorites.

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

Rubbermaid Tote

The plastic material of a Rubbermaid tote is perfect for cleaning and sanitizing between hatches. The plastic cuts fairly easily with an exacto knife. See PIN

Don’t miss ⇒ The ultimate guide to raising laying hens.

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

Igloo Cooler

Coolers are great for maintaining temperatures throughout the incubation. Temperature fluctuations during incubation can be lethal to the embryos. See PIN

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

Double Cardboard Box

It doesn’t get cheaper than two cardboard boxes when it comes to making an incubator. The insulation of wool and/or strips of newspaper keeps the box’s temperature fairly consistent. See PIN

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

Kitchen Cabinet

Structurally sturdy and with a large capacity, an old kitchen cabinet can become the ultimate hatching machine. This particular incubator holds a whopping 200 eggs. I hope they have a big brooder! See PIN

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

10 Gallon Aquarium

This aquarium can quickly be transformed into an incubator for really cheap. The creator of this incubator spent only $27 at Walmart. See PIN

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

Styrofoam Cooler

This homemade incubator seems to have everything you could want. The styrofoam is very easy to cut. It’s water tight and well insulated. It even has a decent capacity. See PIN

Don’t forget the DIY egg turner!

With each of these styles there are a wide variety of ways to assemble it. Just google styrofoam cooler incubator and endless tutorials will come up in the search results. Hopefully these incubators will inspire you.

My DIY Incubator

My new incubator (my last one was rushed together had many flaws) is a 10 gallon aquarium lined with those puzzle floor mats for kids’ rooms. The lighting unit was stolen from an ugly lamp in the basement, held in place with a piece of coat hanger. A computer fan will be added as soon as I get the pictures off my old computer.

Look around your home for things that can be repurposed and you might get away with only buying a thermometer and humidity sensor. I got this combo unit and it’s worked great through three hatches so far.

Pearls of Wisdom

The important thing about creating a homemade incubator is that it needs to be able to control temperature and humidity. That is really all. It seems simple to do that, but lockdown (like in my case) can do you in if you haven’t figured out how to increase the humidity without altering the temperature. To keep the temperature down I had various openings in my incubator. When I needed to get the humidity up and the sponges weren’t enough, I tried closing a few of the openings. The temperatures skyrocketed, so I opened them back up. We lost one of our chicks because the humidity was too low and she got “stuck”.

This isn’t to scare you out of creating your own incubator. I l learned a lot from my cardboard/glass incubator that didn’t work. I simply stress to you that you want to do a test run not only of the incubation period, but also the lockdown procedure so you know what you need to do and how your incubator will respond. Make sure you have this all worked out before you get your eggs.

For more incubating tips and information I recommend you check out BackyardChickens.com There are some really creative people out there that can help you design as well as pros who can help you solve the problems you’re having getting things right. Really an awesome group to belong to.

Have you made your own incubator before?  How did it go?

Why spend crazy amounts of money on incubators when you can easily make on with things around your home? Check out these great DIY incubators I found.

You May Also Like

  • The Big List of Chicken-Safe Plants for In & Around Your CoopThe Big List of Chicken-Safe Plants for In & Around Your Coop
  • Help Livestock Deal with Summer Heat on the HomesteadHelp Livestock Deal with Summer Heat on the Homestead
  • Why Your Backyard Chickens Will Love SandWhy Your Backyard Chickens Will Love Sand
  • What is Enrichment? How It’s Important for LivestockWhat is Enrichment? How It’s Important for Livestock
  • 1.1Kshares
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Share
The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy Instagram profileMy Pinterest profile

Jessica Lane

I am a non-traditional homesteader. What is a non-traditional homesteader? I'd like to think we are the people who don't fit the mold. I am a busy mom on a small bit of property with not a lot of financial resources, but I am figuring out how to live the life I want. A homesteader's life.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy Instagram profileMy Pinterest profile

Latest posts by Jessica Lane (see all)

  • Burn Barrel 101: Why You Need One on Your Homestead - November 24, 2020
  • How to Incubate and Brood Coturnix Quail - October 1, 2020
  • Can You Freeze Spaghetti Squash? Yes! Here’s How - October 1, 2020
  • The Big List of Chicken-Safe Plants for In & Around Your Coop - October 1, 2020
  • Help Livestock Deal with Summer Heat on the Homestead - March 25, 2020

Filed Under: Homestead Animals Tagged With: Chickens

Subscribe

Thank you! You will receive an email in your inbox shortly to confirm your subscription.

Subscribe to The Homestead Helper and receive a copy of my new book, Welcome to the World of Homesteading, your guide to setting attainable homesteading goals. If I can homestead where I live, what's stopping you?

Previous Post: « Dehydrated Fruit Potpourri – The Healthier Choice
Next Post: Custom Color DIY Chalkboard Paint »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. dan says

    July 22, 2019 at 8:42 am

    wow amazing

    Reply
  2. Alex Knight says

    April 15, 2019 at 5:36 am

    Great tips, but I am using this branded Brinsea incubators from this website at an affordable cost which costs me similar to these DIY things, you can check them here https://www.littlefieldsfarm.com/poultry/egg-incubators

    Reply
  3. Jack Harris says

    January 14, 2019 at 3:12 am

    Hello,
    I love the blog article is expensive and fantastic.
    Thank you for share us

    Reply
  4. Jack Harris says

    September 17, 2018 at 7:59 am

    Hello,
    I like the blog, it is very unique.
    Thank you for share us

    Reply
  5. Sam says

    September 11, 2018 at 11:20 pm

    You can better control the temperature with a thermostat. Pet shops sell them in the reptile section. You plug your heating device into the thermostat, and put the probe with the eggs. Set the temp and it will cut the lamp off when it gets too hot and it will turn it back on when it starts to get too cold.

    Reply
  6. Connie says

    July 4, 2018 at 10:28 pm

    Looks interesting.

    Reply
  7. Dave says

    November 1, 2016 at 9:58 am

    Congratulations for having a go! I think we would all benefit from spending a little less and thinking a bit more how we can re-use resources at hand.

    There’s an explosion of people here in the UK right now looking to keep livestock and grow their own food, I think we’re all a bit fed up with high prices and monopolies from supermarkets.

    Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  8. koda says

    July 6, 2016 at 6:00 pm

    2 month of electric bills,no chicks. cheaper to buy chicks,imo.

    Reply
  9. Ngetich Shadrack says

    March 20, 2016 at 1:20 pm

    innovation is the key to success.

    Reply
  10. hay day hack says

    April 15, 2014 at 8:49 am

    I just wanted to say fantastic blog!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

My name is Jessica Lane. I live a nearly self-sufficient lifestyle with my three beautiful children on 5 1/2 acres in Maine. We raise Nigerian Dwarf goats, ducks, and chickens, and we grow as much food as we can. What we can’t grow or produce ourselves we barter for. If we can homestead where we live, what’s stopping you?

Read More

Search This Site

Now Trending

This simple recipe for potato pancakes is great for using up leftover mashed potatoes. You can make them sweet or savory so they are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Leftovers Recipe for Potato Pancakes

While everyone has their own list of fall chores, homesteaders in particular have an insane amount to get done before winter arrives.

How to Prepare for Winter on a Homestead

Homesteading to me means providing for my family instead of relying on mass distribution - be it the foods we eat or the products we use." - Jessica

If I Can Do It, So Can You: Jessica’s Homestead

Keep In Touch

  • 68,203 Pinteresting Followers
  • 26,314 Facebook Friends
  • 4,985 Twitastic Friends
  • 2,446 InstaBuddies
  • 245 Subscribers

Psst! I Sell Holistic Goat Treats

  • Home
  • Homestead Living
  • Real Food
  • Homestead Animals
  • Gardening & Outdoors
  • Inspiring Homesteads

Footer

Disclaimer

I am not a doctor, lawyer, veterinarian or Martha Stewart. Please use the knowledge acquired from this site responsibly.

See Our Privacy Policy

Disclosure

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Work With Me

Become a Contributor/Guest Writer
Advertise on The 104 Homestead
Contact Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Homemade pizza and game night. I love this time wi Homemade pizza and game night. I love this time with my boys. #makingmemories❤️ #homemadepizza🍕 #qualitytime #farmlife #homesteadingit #lifeouthere #homestead #simpleliving #homesteading #nothingisordinary #instagood #farmlifebestlife #thehomegrownlife #farmlove #farmliving #familyfarm #sustainability #homesteadlife #consciousliving #selfreliant PS: My oven is permanently stained. It's not really that gross 😆
Little kitten face is helping me grade my son's al Little kitten face is helping me grade my son's algebra work. She's so helpful! #catsofinstagram #kittenlove #homeschoollife #kittenlife
Hecks yeahs! 🍌 🍞 (I didn't cut it lol) Hecks yeahs! 🍌 🍞 (I didn't cut it lol)
I don't know this for sure, but I feel like the mi I don't know this for sure, but I feel like the mister buys bananas purely because he knows when I spot them over ripening on the counter, I'll make banana bread. Never seen him actually eat one. I feel there's a banana conspiracy happening here. It's all good though... I ♥️ 🍌 🍞 #bananabread #breakfastofchampions #homebakingrocks #nooldbananas
These two warm my heart. Working animals at rest. These two warm my heart. Working animals at rest. They have such an amazing bond. #lgd #barncat #farmdog #homesteadingit
Working on some face scrubbies. Pattern is a free Working on some face scrubbies. Pattern is a free download on ravelry thanks to @stitchedupcraft #crochetersofinstagram #winterproject #happyhooker #homesteadingit #makeityourself
Load More... Follow on Instagram
© 2013-2020 Jessica Lane of The 104 Homestead