MAKE YOUR OWN INCUBATOR
Poultry keeping is a good investment for many families as the products can be sold to meet
domestic financial requirements. Poultry meat and eggs are a good source of protein. Chicken
is also used in many African societies during religious and traditional ceremonies.
However there are many problems associated with poultry keeping, these include diseases,
housing and breeding. Imported technologies discourage small farmers and many of them rely
on large farms to supply them with young chicks.
However, there is a cheaper way for small-scale farmers to breed chicken using a homemade
incubator, this incubator enables you to have 40 chicks in only 21 days!
How to make and use the incubator
The incubator can be made using locally available materials, it can also be made using any
locally available materials and can be made by any local artisan.
Materials
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Wooden boards
A paraffin lamp
A metallic reservoir to keep the water hot
A variable thermometer (special) different from clinical thermometer
Grills to hold brooding eggs
2 pairs of hinges
A strip of cloth about 20 meters to prevent heat loss
A chain for the door
A bowl full of sand and water to preserve humidity
The parts
A. Door 60cm x 40cm
B. Cover 60cm x 35cm
C. Side wall partition
D. Side wall partition
E. Separate partition 35cm x 35cm
F. Back wall partition 60cm x 40cm
G. Grilled shelf (for the eggs) 40cm x 35cm
H. Water tank 55 x 30 x 6cm
I. Incubator bottom 60 x 40cm
J. A lamp
K. 1 to K6: angle blocks to hold the boards and
the water tank. They are fixed on the wall
partition D, E and C and are 35 x 2 x 2cm
Arid Land Information Network, PO Box 10098 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 (20) 2731557 / +254 (20) 2629761 | E-mail info@alin.net | Website http://www.alin.or.ke/
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