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Hi,
I would like to know if it would be possible for me hatch poultry eggs in a heated plant propergator as I cannot afford an incubator, this will be very helpful.
Could you please give me some advice please?
Thank you.
Abba

Hi Abba

I know nothing about egg incubation, but a quick Google search tells me that you need a temperature around 38 degrees Celsius. Heated propagators generally top out at 28 degrees Celsius. The other thing I learned during the Google search was that humidity control is also important, and you don't get that at all with a propagator.

I'm sure that someone with specialist knowledge will be along soon - but in the meantime, I'm guessing that the answer to your question will be no.

Mike

Hi Abba, I don't know about incubation - sorry, but why not pop onto the introductions bit and tell us more about yourself? In the meantime - welcome!

Incubation is quite a delicate task and needs the right humidity as well as temp and turning regularly. I wouldn't thought that a propagator would be that successful but if you look up the exact timings for turning the eggs and you have an accurate way of monitoring humidity and temp then you might get away with it. Is there anyone else who could incubate the eggs for you? A local poultry group or chicken breeder?

Or a broody hen?

you can sometimes hire inccubators

my grandfather made an incubator - it was an insulated box, and heated with a light bulb (the old fashioned bad kind) and the temperature controlled with an old aquarium thermostat

chicken wire above the bulb and the eggs sat on that.


it is important to keep the humidity right and turn the eggs - and dont turn the eggs the same way turn them one way then back (or everything gets tangled up inside)

the humidity thing is not as difficult as all that - you dont *have* to have special meters etc. with my grandfather's home made inccy, we would open the box 3 times a day, turn the eggs over, and then spray them with water, and put the lid back down. many successful hatches.

red wrote:my grandfather made an incubator - it was an insulated box, and heated with a light bulb (the old fashioned bad kind) and the temperature controlled with an old aquarium thermostat

Wish I'd read this before ordering one from my local agricultural store last week. I much prefer Heath Robinson over parting with cash.

Heath Robinson is our hero :)

but i admit to having bought an inccy myself