How to make a homemade quail incubator. Grids for incubator: types, purpose and prices. From a plastic bucket

Distinctive features of a homemade incubator

There are ready-made devices on the market for incubating quail eggs. But they have several disadvantages, which is why farmers resort to homemade designs. Firstly, purchased devices of this type are highly expensive and their prices are often quite inflated. Secondly, they are designed for a small number of eggs, which is why they are not suitable for those who breed quail on an industrial scale. And thirdly, they are sometimes too difficult to purchase, particularly if a specific model is required.

But a homemade quail incubator must have a number of characteristics, without which it will be impossible to properly hatch chicks in it. To begin with, it must be constantly maintained at the required temperature. Moreover, its fluctuations cannot exceed 0.1°C up or down, so the owner of the incubator will need an accurate thermometer and a purchased or hand-made thermoregulation system, and the box itself must be sufficiently insulated. Of course, there should be no gaps in it.

A homemade incubator for quail eggs should provide them with conditions as close as possible to those found in nature. This applies not only to temperature, but also to humidity levels. That is why it is difficult to make an incubation box in such a way as to do without purchased devices. This will require skills in working with electronics, as well as the ability to use a soldering iron. You also need to make a lattice for the eggs in which they will lie in the desired position until the end of hatching. Here's what they say about the requirements for an incubator:

“To hatch quails, the incubator must maintain the required temperature and humidity inside for 17-20 days. The temperature is usually set at 37-37.7°C, and the humidity should be 50-55%. And all this should not depend on fluctuations in current in the outlet or, especially, power outages. It doesn't matter at all how the farmer handles it. He can use any methods or devices that will help in this matter.”

Making a housing for a homemade incubator

There are no strict recommendations that would determine the size and shape of the incubator. The farmer always chooses the option that suits him best. In the event that a box for 50-100 quail eggs is required, a mini-incubator is made in which they can all fit freely. And during industrial rearing, when eggs need to be laid in the thousands, a large cabinet is made in which they will all fit. But in any case, the same requirements are imposed on the quail incubator.

Still, how to make a quail incubator with your own hands? Regardless of the size of its chamber, this device is essentially an insulated wooden box. The incubator frame is made of durable wooden blocks. They are fastened together by any in an accessible way. The main thing is that they do not fall apart during operation. Self-tapping screws are suitable as fasteners, although sometimes you can use nails or even glue. In any case, before laying eggs, it would be better to check the product for strength.

The cabinet walls are usually made of plywood, although materials such as fiberboard and chipboard can also be used. It is advisable to make them in one piece and at the same time make the walls of two layers. Foam insulation is installed in the gap between them. At the same time, it is quite possible to make it from packaging foam, which is usually thrown away. It is necessary to cut windows in the walls themselves through which the removal process will be controlled. They are covered with glass or plexiglass, so that there are no extra gaps left.

Those who make an incubator for small quails with their own hands for the first time often find it difficult to work with foam plastic. The thing is that when you try to process the foam with a hacksaw, it begins to crumble. The cut turns out to be uneven, the pieces of polystyrene foam fit each other worse, and, as a result, there is no normal insulation. And here one simple device that is not at all difficult to make can help. All you need is metal scissors, pliers, a soldering iron and can from canned food.

From tin can a plate is cut out in the shape of the letter T, and its long end can be made sharp or rounded. Be sure to clean the plate of paint, paper or glue, and then rinse it. After this, take a pair of pliers and bend the two short ends towards each other to make a ring. This ring is put on the working part of the soldering iron. With such a tip, after warming up, it will easily cut foam without leaving crumbs. This way it will be possible to make normal insulation for the walls of the incubator.

Trays for laying eggs in an incubator

It is separately recommended to think over the design of the trays in which the quail eggs will be laid. To lay out quail eggs, a metal mesh with square cells is usually used, which is fixed inside a wooden or plastic frame. The mesh must be firmly fixed in the tray so as not to fall out along with the eggs. For these purposes, you can use the sandwich principle. Two identical frames are made from wooden slats, which are then fastened together with bots. And in the middle there is a grid.

The cells on which the eggs will lie must be sufficiently small sizes so that the egg does not fall through or break. The masonry is located in the incubator sharp ends down, this is the optimal position for removal. If the laying was carried out differently, this will negatively affect the future poultry population, so the egg should be positioned so that it does not turn over during incubation. Because of this, trays are sometimes made different sizes so that when storing them there is no free space.

DIY quail incubator for 50 eggs!!!

Incubator from China. Part 2. Laying quail eggs! Alex Boyko

Incubator Laying hen, BI-2 quail hatching

Hatching of quails in a homemade incubator with a revolution

Incubator for quail eggs at the Juno market.

Electronics for a homemade incubator

Even the craftsman who is able to make a quail incubator with his own hands is sometimes forced to buy electronics for it. The fact is that for this device it is strictly recommended to make or purchase two devices: an inverter and a thermostat. Both of these devices can be made independently or purchased ready-made. But for self-made Requires electronics skills and reading ability electrical circuits parts required for the device.

It’s worth watching the video to see how temperature control devices are assembled. A separate recommendation for those who have old electronics made during the Soviet era. Spare parts from it can be very useful in the manufacture of a thermostat. The fact is that even some of the drawings shown in the video are taken from homemade circuits, made back in the 80s of the last century. But these circuits are still suitable for use in homemade incubators.

Such diagrams always indicate what brand of parts are required for assembly. A beginner only needs to compare the markings with those that mark the parts he has. It is useless to describe this scheme here; it is better to look at it in the attached photos. In particular, it is worth paying attention to the temperature control device, made on the basis of the KR140UD6 integrated circuit. The only drawback of such circuits is that they are sensitive to fluctuations in alternating current in the outlet. And here another device comes in handy.

Inverter for a homemade incubator

It is quite possible to buy an inverter that would be suitable for a homemade quail incubator. But these devices are expensive and not always affordable for the average farmer. This device is needed for uninterruptible power supply incubator, and serves as protection against power surges and power outages. Like an automatic thermostat, it is very important for the successful breeding of quail in an incubator. And, like the temperature control device, the inverter can actually be made at home.

A similar inverter is made from a conventional computer uninterruptible power supply device. The assembly is described in more detail in the corresponding video. It is important to provide additional ventilation, since due to higher loads the UPS will heat up much more. And they are suitable as power sources in case of a power outage solar panels, diesel generator or regular batteries. The choice in this matter remains with the poultry farmer himself. Of course, you can always purchase a ready-made inverter.

Heating the incubator without the help of electronics

Of course, it is convenient to use an automatic thermostat and an uninterruptible power supply device in the incubator. But how can you make a quail incubator secure without resorting to working with electronics? Similar devices They are not cheap, and not every poultry farmer is able to make them on their own. But there is a fairly convenient alternative that you can actually implement on your own. This will not require drawings of complex devices and skills that many people do not possess.

If it is not possible to manually regulate the temperature in the incubator, then it should be set at 37.5-38°C. Conventional incandescent lamps are used for heating. To prevent the air from stagnating, several round holes for ventilation, and for uniform heating, the lamps are installed both at the very bottom and under the housing cover. Then both the upper and lower mesh with eggs will warm up evenly. Here's how to make a heating device from a regular container of water:

• First you need to take a ready-made metal water canister or other similar container. It must be kept in constant readiness in case of a power outage.
• When the lights go out, you need to heat the water on the stove or stove. It is heated until it boils, after which it is poured into a container.
• After this, a similar heater is installed under the lower grid with eggs in the incubator. It will serve as a replacement for electrical heating.
• In case the light is turned off for a long time, it is better to keep two similar containers and change them as needed.

Conclusion

It is quite possible to make a quail incubator yourself. But when assembling, you must follow all the basic recommendations, and then this device will quickly pay for itself.

Everyone is well aware of the benefits of quail eggs, which are recommended to be consumed by even the smallest children, and it is very useful for older children and adults to drink them on an empty stomach to improve health.

There are people who breed quail at home, but it is incredibly difficult, because females of egg-bearing breeds are not very good hens. That is why it is best to use an incubator to breed these birds at home.

In this material you will learn how to make a quail incubator with your own hands and what you will need for this.

Naturally, such a device for breeding animals can be purchased ready-made, and it will be equipped with everything necessary for raising chicks at home, for example: a thermostat; humidity controller; automatic egg turning.

However, such a unit it costs expensive and has limited space for laying eggs - on average, from 100 to 300 pieces. If the breeder’s quail population is more than a thousand birds, then purchasing several incubators will be very expensive, especially since a number of models are not equipped with autonomous power sources. So, if the electricity goes out, this can negatively affect the number of chicks.

What is included in the design of this device? The incubator is a sealed box made on the basis thermal insulation material. Inside it is equipped egg trays and heating system. Making such a design with your own hands will be much cheaper than buying a ready-made one.

The benefits are as follows:

• ease of assembly;
• minimum cost of working materials;
• the ability to adjust the dimensions of the structure to your needs.

As an additional power source you can install a gas generator.

Homemade incubator for quail eggs made of wood and plywood

You can make a do-it-yourself device for hatching quail eggs from different materials, we will look at just a few of them. The first option is based on wooden bars. Manufacturing looks like this:

Mulard ducks: growing at home

Let's move on to the second assembly method. According to the manufacturing principle, this method is almost no different from the previous one. But the only difference is that plywood sheets need to stuff on both sides from the frame, thereby forming a double wall.

The next difference is that holes are drilled in both the floor and the lid. We fill the space between the walls with your choice tow, polystyrene foam or sawdust . To close the ventilation, provide special plates that allow better control of the humidity level in the incubator.

Using chipboard for a quail incubator

Another way to make a structure with your own hands is on the basis of thick plywood, which can be replaced with a chipboard cabinet. For example, you can take an old TV stand that is equipped with glass doors. Manufacturing looks like this:

DIY foam incubator

To make a structure for laying quail eggs using foam plastic with your own hands, you will need the following materials;

You can use it as a tray for quail eggs ready-made plastic tray or galvanized mesh. You can make a structure for hatching quail eggs at home from polystyrene foam with your own hands like this:

• We divide the first sheet of polystyrene foam into four identical squares. From these we will assemble the body of the structure (side walls).
• From the second sheet we cut off half and divide it into two unequal parts in the shape of rectangles.
• Glue the body together and secure it with tape. The first rectangle will serve as the bottom, and the second will serve as the lid.
• We cut a hole in the lid for observation, which will need to be covered with glass.
• When the incubator body is dry (this will take about an hour), it bottom part glue the bottom and cover the structure with wide tape - first the bottom, then the sides along the perimeter from bottom to top.
• As a result, a rigid structure should emerge. In the case, along the inner long side at the junction of the walls and the bottom, attach a foam block, on which the tray with eggs will then be installed.
• On the short inner sides, about a centimeter from the bottom, make three ventilation holes approximately 10-12 mm in diameter, which should be located at the same distance from each other and from the edge of the box. Note that it is difficult to make holes of this diameter on foam plastic if you do not insert anything into them.
• After drilling, you can insert scraps of a polymer water pipe with the diameter indicated below. It is better not to drill holes, but to burn them using a soldering iron.
• We return to the incubator lid. Along its perimeter with inside Approximately 5 centimeters from the edge, attach a block of foam plastic measuring about 2 by 2, which will be needed to secure the lid to the structure.
• Then, on the inside of the same lid, we attach 4 electric sockets with light bulbs; to attach them, you can take two strips of galvanized welded mesh as a base.
• We attach a thermostat at the top of the lid, use an awl for the temperature sensor to make a hole in the lid and pass the temperature sensor wire through it, which will be located at a level of about a centimeter above the eggs stored in the tray.
• The tray itself can be made from a welded galvanized grate, which is closed inside with a plastic mosquito net. It will also be used as an outlet, so the height of the walls must be at least 8 cm so that small quails cannot jump over it.
• The bottom of the tray must correspond to the parameters of the bottom of the entire structure, and the side walls must be made at a distance of about 5 cm from the walls to ensure normal air exchange. The finished tray will hold approximately 160 quail eggs.
• You will also need a container for water. To do this, you can take a bathtub, the wall of which is about 3 cm high. A 10-liter plastic container may also be suitable, cut it lengthwise along the height, divide it into two parts and get two such bathtubs.

How to feed chickens so that they lay a lot of eggs - the diet of laying hens in winter

Such a homemade incubator for quail eggs can last about two years. Then over time it can be cover the inside with insulation based on foil with foam rubber, which is used for insulation of roofs, floors, etc.

An incubator is necessary for avid or professional poultry farmers to simplify the work of breeding young offspring, as well as to maintain a high level of hatchability of young animals.

By resorting to its help, you can be sure that the chickens will be hatched at the appropriate temperature and humidity, which means that the hatching percentage will be high.

You can purchase a ready-made device, modify a factory incubator to suit your requirements, or you can make it yourself from start to finish. It is not difficult, as you can see by reading our article.

Advantages of a homemade incubator

It is known that quails are not good brood hens, so in order to hatch as many chicks as possible, you need to use an incubator. There are many models on sale that differ in their flip system, functionality, capacity, and price. As a rule, high-quality, capacious incubation devices are quite expensive.

Craftsman poultry farmers prefer to purchase cheap household devices, modifying them independently to suit their goals and preferences. If a person plans to breed a large number of chicks, then it is easier and cheaper for him to make the apparatus himself, using available materials.

So, the main advantages of a homemade incubator model are:

• ease of manufacture;
• cheapness.

Making an incubator

We invite you to consider 4 options for making an incubator with your own hands:

• from a wooden box;
• from an old refrigerator;
• from a foam box;
• from a plastic bucket.

From a wooden box

To make an incubator, an ordinary wooden box is suitable, which must be insulated by covering the walls with plywood, foam plastic or a heat insulator.
Heating lamps and containers for filling water are installed inside, which will maintain the required level of humidity.

Necessary materials

You will need:

• wooden body;
• lid;
• 3 wooden logs;
• 2 containers for filling water;
• metal grid;
• fixing slats;
• 2 heater resistors (PEV-100, 300 Ohm);
• indicator light (suitable for an electric iron);
• thermostat;
• 4 brackets (10 mm, 30 x30);
• 4 M4 bolts;
• installation wire in heat-resistant insulation;
• 4 screws (5x12).

Instructions

1. We line the walls of the box with thick sheets of plywood, polystyrene foam or heat insulation.
2. We make a window in the lid to observe the incubation process. Cover the window with glass.
3. We also drill holes in the lid through which ventilation will take place. Equip them with movable slats, which will close or open them as necessary.
4. We install 40 W lamps in each corner of the box with wiring 20 cm below the lid.
5. We make a tray for eggs by stretching a mesh or lattice onto a metal frame.
6. We install the tray 10 cm above the floor.
7. We install a fan inside the box.
8. You should also install instruments for measuring and regulating temperature and measuring humidity - thermostat, thermometers.
9. For a small incubator, you can install auto-rotation in the form of a movable grid with a roller. The eggs will gradually move and turn over.

Detailed diagrams of the incubator look like this:

Important! The incubator should be installed in a room at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and drafts, on an elevated surface.

From a non-working refrigerator

The body of a broken refrigerator is ideal for making an incubator, as it allows you to maintain the desired temperature. Heating sources and trays of water are placed inside it to maintain humidity, and it is also equipped with a thermostat, fan and heat sources.

Necessary materials

For arrangement, prepare the following materials:

• 3 egg trays with wire racks;
• fan;

• 6 bulbs 100 W;
• thermostat sensor;
• tray rotation handle;
• 2 thermometers for measuring air temperature and humidity;
• water tray;
• drill;
• scotch;
• screwdrivers;
• screws;
• 2 metal plates;
• window glass (optional).

Instructions

1. We dismantle the freezer.
2. We drill 4 ventilation holes in the lid and bottom of the refrigerator.
3. We attach a fan to the top wall of the refrigerator.
4. We install a thermostat on the roof.
5. On the side panels at the top and bottom we attach light bulbs - 4 at the top, 2 at the bottom, which are connected to the thermostat.
6. We attach temperature and humidity sensors to the inside.
7. We attach metal plates to the side panels.
8. We attach the trays to the plates with screws - they should tilt to one side and the other at an angle of 45 degrees.
9. We attach a handle to simultaneously rotate the trays.
10. We install a tray with water at the bottom.
11. If desired, you can make viewing windows in the door and glaze them. It is also possible to insulate the inside of the refrigerator with polystyrene foam.

From a foam box

A homemade foam incubator is very similar in appearance to the factory one. Polystyrene foam holds temperature well, so this material is perfect for making an incubation apparatus.

Necessary materials

Prepare:

• ready-made foam box or 2 foam sheets;
• glass or plastic;
• scotch;
• glue;
• soldering iron;
• drill;
• 4 light bulbs of 25 W;
• egg tray;
• water tray;
• fan;
• thermostat;
• thermal insulation foil.

Instructions

1. Divide one foam sheet into 4 identical parts - the side walls of the incubator.
2. Glue the parts together to form a box.
3. Cut the second sheet into 2 equal parts, and then divide one of these parts into two with a width of 60 and 40 cm - the lid and bottom of the incubator.
4. Cut a square window in the lid.
5. Cover the window with glass or plastic.
6. Glue the bottom to the body.
7. Cover the seams with tape.
8. Cover the inside with thermal insulating foil.
9. From the remaining foam, cut out the legs - bars with a height of 6 cm and a width of 4 cm.
10. Glue the legs to the bottom.
11. In the side walls, at a height of 1 cm from the bottom, drill or burn with a soldering iron 3 ventilation holes with a diameter of 12 mm.
12. Attach sockets for 4 light bulbs in the inside.
13. Attach the thermostat to the outside of the lid.
14. Secure the sensor inside at a height of 1 cm from the egg tray.
15. Attach an egg tray.
16. Install a fan in the lid.
17. Place a tray of water at the bottom.

From a plastic bucket

This is the simplest version of a home incubator, designed for a small number of eggs. Turning the eggs in this design is done manually. Water is poured into the bottom of the bucket. Every time you need to add water, the incubator will need to be disconnected from the power supply.

Did you know? Quails were the first birds to be born in space. In 1990, astronauts took 60 eggs with embryos on board the spacecraft, which they placed in an incubator. The hatchability of chicks was 100%.

Necessary materials

You will need:

• 2 plastic buckets of equal volume;
• light bulb 60 W;
• light bulb socket;
• digital or analog thermostat;
• grate from a fruit box;
• plywood.

Instructions

1. On one and the other side of the bucket we drill 2 ventilation holes of 10 mm each.
2. From another bucket, cut off the bottom about 8 cm high and cut a hole in it, leaving 5 cm edges.
3. Insert the second bottom into the bucket.
4. We install a grate on it.
5. We put a mosquito net on the grill so that the chicks' legs do not fall through the holes.
6. Cut out a cover from plywood.
7. We attach a tin reflector and a light bulb socket to it.
8. We make a hole in the lid for the thermostat and 4 ventilation holes.
9. We connect the wires from the cartridge. The wires are well insulated.
10. Screw in the light bulb.
11. We mount the thermostat to the lid.
12. We install the sensor in the middle of the bucket.

Video: how to make an incubator from a bucket

Features of breeding chicks in an incubator

In order to successfully hatch young quails, you should select high-quality incubation material by examining the appearance and scanning with an ovoscope and prepare the incubator.

Important! The incubator must operate for at least 24 hours before loading eggs. Only after monitoring the parameters and meeting their standards can the incubation material be loaded.

• correct shape;
• average size and weight - approximately 9-11 g;
• not too light and not too dark in color, without significant pigmentation;
• with a clean shell.

When ovoscoping, eggs should be discarded:

• without air chamber;
• with damage, thickening, thinning of the shell;
• with several yolks;
• with spots;
• with an incorrectly placed yolk.

The quail incubation process lasts 17 days. In the first 12 days, the temperature should be at 37.7 degrees, and the humidity should be around 50-60%. During the remaining period, the temperature is gradually reduced to 37.2 degrees, humidity - by 5-6%. During hatching, temperature indicators are reduced to 37 degrees, and humidity indicators are increased by 13-16%.

The eggs are turned over 6 times a day. After the 14th day of incubation, the incubation material is no longer turned over. The incubator is opened 2 times a day for 5 minutes to ventilate and eliminate carbon dioxide.

Video: incubating quail eggs Thus, since quails do not have a well-developed brooding instinct, it is better to hatch their eggs using an incubator.

You can purchase it - almost every model is designed for hatching quail eggs, too, or you can make it yourself from improvised means, for example, from a broken refrigerator, a wooden box, polystyrene foam or a plastic bucket.
Detailed diagrams and detailed step-by-step instructions allow people even without special skills to make models of incubation apparatus. times already
helped