I needed an incubator that was dependable and once running...automatic!  I had several still air units (that would be used later for hatching chicks) that were too labor intensive. Turning eggs and filling water trays was too time consuming.  I set about building a unit that was totally automatic except for a daily check for temperature, water and humidity.

   I came up with a 2 drawer file cabinet.  Heavy duty!  Don’t waste your time with a cheap thin walled one!  Mine happened to have an open bottom which allowed plenty of room for water trays in the bottom below the drawer.  The way the cabinet was made allowed for 1/2” sheets of pink foam to be lined on all inside surfaces. The drawer faces were disassembled and foam linned and windows were cut above the pulls. Glass was placed on both sides of foam inside drawer front.

   A 2x4 stand was built to raise cabinet to a comfortable height. Other features include wafer controlled thermostat, automatic egg turner, simi-automatic water filler for humidity trays and indicator lights.

   View of upper inside shows placement of heating element (old brooder with light bulb that is on when heater is on), wafer thermostat control,  forced air fan blowing down and on at all times, and another intake opening behind light in third pic for squirrel cage fan built in the back (shown in pics later)  also on at all times.   In middle picture, the heater has a 1” space above were heated air flows toward fan via the triangular foam duct. The little light on top front in the middle pic is an indicator light that is supposed to light when heater is on, but when I wired it lit when the heater was off! Go figure. Turned out to be better since light inside was on when heat was on and light outside was on when heater was off. I knew power was on as long as a light was on!

   First pic shows location of fan in lower section of cabinet just below where lower file drawer tracks. Second pic shows back view of cabinet. Lighter gray section is 2x4 and plywood duct work for squirrel cage fan. Air flow is from heated air from top being pulled down and blown into bottom section below the lower drawer.  The black box is a rotisserie for a Bar-B-Que. This is what operates the egg turner.  Next pic shows the stand for the whole incubator setup.  Water trays sit in this space.

     Water trays shown in place. Tubing connects both trays so level is equal in both . Small computer fan was installed above water level to blow air across water to raise humidity higher. No holes were cut for new air inflow because the drawers leaked so much, air it was not needed, although this made it harder to achieve the higher humidity needed for peafowl eggs! The bottle shows how tubing was connected (cat’s help was not needed).  Tip goes into water tray and tray is filled until the tip is under water. Next pic shows location on incubator. This was filled once a day but could be designed  with a bigger bottle or use a source such as an ice maker waterline to make it automatic.

Drawer front shows window placement. Very useful!  Also, the eye-bolt in bottom corner is attached to the first roller to turn eggs manually if motor is not used or to align rear pin into socket of motor drive when closing the drawer.  Second pic shows bottom of drawers cut out to allow air circulation. A must! Egg turner design consists of 1/2” conduit with a wood dowel in the ends with a pin made from 9ga. wire. Holes were drilled in wood lattice where pins went. Each tube should roll freely!  Velcro 2 sided tape was glued to ends of tubing. A strip of Velcro was cut into a belt to drive all tubes. Third pic shows Velcro but the belt was slid away to show ends. Belt must be slid back over the Velcro tips. Be sure the opposite sides of Velcro are facing the right direction!

   First pic shows bolt head that fits into Rotisserie motor.  Geared to 1rpm, the roller has to turn 5 times for egg to turn once. The timer has a minimum on time of 15 min. This means the egg turns 1 1/2 times, but ends up 180deg. from starting point which is what you want! The motor for the bottom drawer has a 1/11th rpm or 11 min. for 1 revolution.  A 15 min.timer on will turn the egg a 2/3rd turn. This still gets the yoke moved to a different position which is the whole idea for turning! Second pic shows eggs thru the window and lets you check humidity and temperature monitors.  Third pic shows electrical boxes. 15’ extension cord is connected to a wall plug (for timer and just to have power source).  Hot wire is run to light switch going to thermostat operating the heater element.  Another switch hot wire is run inside to operate the fans.  So when the switch is on all fans are running and heater comes on when thermostat engages. A u-bolt was placed over switch lever to prevent accidentally turning incubator off!

   Eggs on the roller and ready to go....not yet! The 2 rows on the right, the eggs are all facing the same direction.  My first runs were frustrating! All the eggs would wonder the direction of the small or pointed end. They would jam up to one end.  I found when eggs were placed with the pointed ends touching...they stayed put! Also keep all eggs grouped as to date of putting into incubator. This just makes it easy to locate to take out for hatching.  Do not hatch in this incubator! I had two eggs I missed  taking out. One hatched but almost fell thru the bottom opening into the water tray. The other was pipping. Every time he pecked the egg rolled and he used all his energy up and never hatched.  It was solid white!!! I felt so bad.

   The other still air incubators are used for hatching.  Mark the eggs as to color of bird and keep one color  per incubator.  Sure makes it easier to keep track of colors and splits to colors!

           So, some final thoughts and hints as I ponder this page.

First, locate incubator in a cool place. My setup ran perfect the first month until summer heated up the room. The three fans in incubator produced enough heat that temp would stay above 100+ degrees...not good!

Second, run incubator for a week before using to be sure all kinks are worked out. Don’t need to be messin with thermostat with eggs inside!

Next, keep good records and check daily for eggs that need to be transferred to hatching incubator.

   Most important...HAVE FUN !!!  Life is too short to let a hobby turn into work. You won’t get rich raising birds, Bengals or any other life form. You’ll be enriched by the experience!  So like pumpkin below...it’s nap-time!