Hatch rates in general from homemade incubators tend to be well under 50%.They tend not to work as well in rooms which have a low or fluctuating temperature - although this is also true of some of the smaller commercial incubators.If they're not controlled properly, hatch levels tend to be very poor. These are two of the most critical parts of incubation. The biggest disadvantage is that it's notoriously difficult to keep temperature and humidity levels right.You have the satisfaction of knowing you're using re-cycled (upcycled) items.You can make it largely from re-cycled items you may have around your home, so it costs even less.It's a much less expensive way of hatching than using a store-bought incubator - at least on the surface.

In this article, I examine the positives and drawbacks of doing it yourself, and provide three sets of instructions to help you make your own if you decide that's the way you want to go.Īnd I talk to our local Farmers' Union about the fish tank incubator they have used successfully for generations. Is it really that simple? Have we become too reliant on commercially-produced gadgets to perform what is essentially a very natural process? Our friend Claudio tells me his mother (in rural Italy) used to hatch chicks in the warm space under the kitchen fireplace if there was no broody hen available. So can a homemade incubator be less expensive while still providing the optimum levels of heat, humidity and security needed for a successful hatch? The information in this article is taken from reading extensively about DIY incubators, talking to members of our local farmers' union about their 'fish tank incubator' (see below), and hearing from friends and neighbours who have used them - and still do. But many of my friends here in Italy have - in fact, my Brinsea incubators became something of a celebrity because they are such an unusual sight.

Diy egg incubator design and assembly