Easy Cheap DIY Incubator

Time and time again, the question gets asked “Does anyone have instructions for building an easy cheap incubator?”. Typically it is also implied that it will work well more than a single use, be somewhat easy to use for a novice and that it should handle somewhere around a dozen chicken eggs. Most people look for the Do It Yourself route in hopes of being a less expensive option than buying a commercially available incubator but they are also not usually electricians nor engineers. While not being much of a penny saver unless you have some of the materials laying around already, which is a good possibility, this build was created to answer that original reoccurring question, “Does anyone have instructions for building an easy cheap incubator?”

Anytime someone asks for a recommendation on an entry model incubator, my answer is ALWAYS a Hovabator 1602n with fan and turner. While this is not the cheapest model available, it is arguably the best quality incubator for the lowest cost. Sure, there are other entry level incubators available for less money, but due to design they more often than not, perform poorly and or need to be modified in order to perform better. Typically they provide too little surface area for water evaporation, limiting achievable humidity levels, and usually use lower quality components. It is interesting to note that the above recommended incubator has analog controls over digital, this is due to a belief in reliability and accuracy of analog components as compared to lower end electronics.

To put together this Easy Cheap DIY Incubator build, I partnered with IncubatorWarehouse.com. After giving them a parts list of analog components for the build, they suggested instead their all in one kit, the IncuKit Mini. After comparing costs, construction effort, features, and functionality, I decided to follow their suggestion for this build as it gave the bonus of a fan which allowed me to create a forced air incubator (as opposed to a still air from my original design) with zero electrical work for the DIYer (as opposed to my original design) at relatively the same cost as my original component list. Maybe this build will be a big enough hit to have IncubatorWarehouse.com want me to build the original or even a larger build at a future date, *wink wink*.

Materials Needed:

IncuKit Mini – $49.99
Styrofoam Cooler – $7.47
Skewers – $1.48
Hardware Cloth – $12.89
- 1/4” is ideal for most species
Mildew Resistant Silicone/Caulk – $3.77
- Optional (see below) but good for fixing any mistakes along the way

Grand Total of $75.60*

*Roughly the total cost of a cheap off the shelf forced air incubator that can be purchased at a local chain store (something like Tiny Monster or Homestead Pioneers brand incubator), but without the limitations listed above.

Recommended Tools:

Utility Knife
Tin Snips
Philips Screwdriver
Marker/Pen
Drill and Drill Bits

Build Steps

IncuKit Off — If using a flat top cooler, there would simply be the small square window cut out along with the mounting screw holes

1. Cut out and position the supplied template that comes with the IncuKit Mini, in the center of the cooler lid and mark the area to cut out for the controls and mounting screws

2. Using the utility knife, cut out the styrofoam for the controls and drill out the styrofoam for the mounting screws

NOTE: If using a cooler like the one shown with a molded handle, some additional work will need to be done to create a continuous flat surface to mount the IncuKit Mini

DIY Incubator Lid Empty — With the removal of the raised handle, no additional styrofoam was needed

a. Mark the area for the control window

b. Using the utility knife, cut out the styrofoam for the controls as well as the rest of the raised handle

c. Using the removed styrofoam pieces, position them back in to fill the space where the handle was creating a continuous flat surface PRO TIP: skewers can be used to pin the styrofoam in place

d. Silicone caulk all gaps from piecing in the styrofoam and let dry

e. Mark an drill the mounting screw locations

NOTE: Skewers holding the cut styrofoam pieces in place

3. Using the supplied screws and washers, mount the IncuKit Mini to the lid of the cooler NOTE: If the cooler lid is too thick nuts can be used on the back end of the IncuKit Mini to secure the screws

IncuKit On Lid — IncuKit mounted to center of cooler lid

DIY Incubator Marker — PRO TIP: Use a block of wood or another object as guide along a flat surface to draw a level line

4. Draw a line around the outside of the styrofoam cooler roughly 3 inches from the bottom (close enough +/- 1 inch is completely fine, but better to error on the side of more), this will be the level of the false floor the eggs sit on

DIY Incubator Skewers — PRO TIP: Use the same tin snips to clean up the ends of the skewers and make them flush with the sides of the cooler

5. Using the skewers, poke them through one side of the cooler to the other to create a support for the hardware cloth floor NOTE: If using a cooler small enough or skewers long enough they can be pushed straight through front to back and or side to side, if not, create corner supports as shown below

DIY Incubator Screen — With the size of the cooler used, only these corner supports were needed to hold the weight of the hardware cloth and eggs, but you could certainly add more skewers for additional support if needed

6. Measure and cut a piece of hardware cloth slightly smaller than the floor of the cooler, this will become the false floor where the eggs sit and will be supported by the skewers

DIY Incubator Lid Complete — NOTE: Silicone caulk sealing up the gaps from the handle remodel

7. Create two holes in the lid of the cooler approximately 3/8 inch diameter on either side of the IncuKit Mini, this is easiest to do using a drill bit, these are where fresh air will get pulled into the incubator

DIY Incubator Vent Skewer — Skewer left in to show the downward angle

8. Using a drill bit or simply pushing a skewer through the wall of the cooler, create 2 holes on each side of the cooler (8 holes in total) on a downward angle just below the line marked on the outside of the cooler, this is where stale air will exit the incubator

DIY Incubator Lid Bottom — NOTE: Gaps were only silicone caulked on the outside but no reason they couldn’t be done on the inside as well

9. Use the twist tie from the packaging to fix the temperature probe for the IncuKit Mini so that it hangs at the level of the eggs

DIY Incubator Lid Notch — Utility knife makes quick work of a cord notch

10. Plug the power cord into the underside of the IncuKit Mini and cut a small v-shaped notch where the lid meets the mouth of the cooler to allow the lid to close securely

DIY Incubator Complete — Completed Cheap Easy DIY Incubator with calibrated wet and dry bulbs

The Easy Cheap DIY Incubator build is complete …

Time to hatch some eggs!

Using the Cheap Easy DIY Incubator

My preference is to add a calibrated (Thermometer Calibration) wet/dry bulb (What is a Wet/Dry Bulb?) to validate the temperature and humidity while setting up the incubator. However you may have other preferences so adjust below accordingly.

Plug in the power cord for the IncuKit Mini
- Factory settings should bring the incubator up to 99.5F
After running for an hour, validate the temperature on the IncuKit Mini display with the calibrated dry bulb NOTE: Instructions for the IncuKit Mini state that calibration of the unit is not often needed. In my build it was, however the unit is fairly simple and easy to calibrate using the instructions
Once the IncuKit Mini is calibrated to the calibrated dry bulb and running for 24 hours add water to fill the bottom of the incubator
Allow the incubator to run for a few hours and check the humidity readout on the wet bulb
- Humidity can be adjusted higher by adding a sponge to the water below the hardware cloth floor, increasing surface area for evaporation of the water
- Humidity can be adjusted lower by adding more ventilation holes or reducing the surface area for evaporation of the water by adding a solid object to the water area or even siliconing in a section divider to create a smaller water area
- Humidity requirements and adjustments will vary based on what is being hatched and the room humidity where the incubator is located
  - In the test build room humidity was 33% and with the incubator bottom full humidity was 54% (100F dry and 84F wet)
When the incubator holds ideal temperature and humidity for 24 hours eggs can be set

DIY Incubator Araucana Eggs — Water cavity filled, calibrated dry bulb in the center at egg level and calibrated wet bulb with cotton wick going through hardware cloth into the water to the right

Final Remarks

The goal of this build was to answer the question “Does anyone have instructions for building an easy cheap incubator?” and create a DIY incubator that is cheap, easy to build and can quickly get people hatching eggs. This being my first experience with the IncuKit Mini, or any IncuKit for that matter, I will continue to test it out and see how it performs over time. I am always skeptical of the longevity and accuracy of low cost digital controls, but at the very least, allowing for calibration of the unity is a positive note in my book. Happy hatching!