OK, here is a "poser" about incubators...

[muffin]

PROBLEM:
Living off-grid, only regular power sources are solar (when the sun shines), wind (when it is windy), and generator (when previous 2 are insufficient). I would like to run an incubator, for times when a broody hen is not readily available. I would like to use a cabinet incubator like the sportsman 1502, would prefer to make my own. I need help with producing a low wattage reliable heat system...the sportsman uses 325 watts, and that is too high for what I can use.

Any workable suggestions?

[baronrenfrew]

You can buy hova-bators (the table top machines that many of us use: OntarioChick only uses these) that run on DC not aC and so are suitable for solar-battery systems. They consume 75 watts. Or get silkies or Old English Games as they are reliable broodies.
Being off-grid means you use a battery backup system for power. Even a small solar panel and a "marine" deep discharge battery might be all you need. But what about brooding? You hatch chicks you have to brood them typically with a heat lamp or light system???

[Home Grown Poultry]

heat tape... check out my threads on my homemade cabinet incubator and hatcher.... the hatcher uses heat tape which runs I believe 15 watts per foot of tape for the 11" width... very low wattage! I'll com back to this later...

[Home Grown Poultry]

Me best incubator design...

http://www.poultrytalkontario.net/forum ... f=24&t=108

my hatcher that uses heat tape...

http://www.poultrytalkontario.net/forum ... f=24&t=106

and a basic egg turner design...

http://www.poultrytalkontario.net/forum ... f=24&t=109

[Ontario Chick]

Al (thegawd) is the man for mad inventions.
Tom is also off- grid, I think he also has home built.

[windwalkingwolf]

Fire :) An oil lamp running 24 hours a day uses about $6 worth of kerosene in 3 weeks, no batteries required. There are overseas manufacturers that build modern kerosene and propane incubators, but the price tag isn't low, especially after freight. There are DIY plans online for kerosene cabinet incubators if that's something you're interested in, as simple as a lamp, a fish tank and tinfoil or nearly as complicated as a Sportsman. If you know someone who can plumb propane, you can heat a fairly large incubator off just a pilot light, and an incubator that uses fire surprisingly doesn't need any more ventilation than an electric, as long as fresh air is coming in the bottom and gases can escape out the top...so if you use a fan you have to be mindful of placement.

[windwalkingwolf]

https://www.lehmans.com/product/kerosen ... -incubator
I've always wanted one of these, but made do with a rather ridiculous home-made rig lol. The eggs thankfully really aren't picky.

[Home Grown Poultry]

WWW when I found out how you were successfully incubating eggs I just couldnt believe it LOL! Thats crazy awesome! I recall I promised you Id come up with some low wattage, off grid style incubator... I never did tinker around with one BUT I still have lots of heat tape AND another thermostat! I'd like one myself since I was hatching only a handfull of quail eggs at a time in my cabinet. I guess I could get a havobator egg turner or 2 for my hatcher.

I'm guna experiment with building a simple low budget, low wattage incubator this winter... stay tuned.

[TomK]

Im off the grid, OC has it right...i built an incubator..handles maybe 16 eggs at a time..heat from one 25W light bulb...its insulated so the heat loss is negligible...have a little clock motor to push an egg turner rack... I watch the humidity myself and adjust accordingly... I want to add a little computer fan to circulate the air..up til now its a still air unit

[Home Grown Poultry]

thats AWESOME Tom you should post some pics!