HOW-TO BUILD EVERYTHING FOR YOUR CHICKENSTABLE OF CONTENT HOW-TO BUILD Rooster on a leash... Coffee can feed hopper. Mason jar feeder. Egg candler........... Styrofoam incubator. Post and beam chicken pen... Double-sided chicken feed hopper.. Drinking fountain for chicks. A-Frame chicken tractor pen Ultra-tite tractor pen. Single hen coop. Chicken catcher. Rotation tunnel system pan. Hoop-style pen. Cold frame coop. Straw bale coop. Double-trap door coop. Electric barrel-style chicken pl Low-tech non-electric chicken incubator and brooder..ROOSTER ON A LEASH ‘To prevent gamecocks from fighting each other, owners have used what is called “hitches” to separate the birds. A hitch is made of either nylon strap, neoprene rubber, or leather. These hitches have brass grommets attached to allow the strap to be adjusted around the bird’s leg. Nylon rip cord of about 8 foot length is used as the leash. At both ends of the nylon rip cord, metal rivet caps are used to prevent the nylon cord from slipping through the grommet and swivel. The swivel is of the standard hardware store type. This prevents the nylon cord from twisting and knotting up. The swivel is attached to a metal stake 1 foot long to anchor the leash. Be sure to provide food and water to the bird since it is totally dependant ‘on you for its care, A place to roost out of the sun should also be provided. SHORT nTey Cileormene hatteey Ayton deren OD) CIE) —SREVEr carsCOFFEE CAN HOPPER This feed hopper is of the simple’s design to make. Any large can will do. Draw a line around the circumference about 2 or 3 inches from the bottom. Next, use a hacksaw to cut 1 % inch slits around the line at the base. Use a flat piece of metal like a flat head screwdriver and insert it into the slit. Use your thumb to push back the upper half of the slit into the interior of the can. This should form a pocket. A small file will need to be used to remove all metal burrs and sharpness of the cut metal. Fill the hopper with scratch or grains. As the birds deplete and eat the feed, gravity will automatically replace and keep the pocket full. <—cm use FLAT Mert ro pustt eran BREE >| Foemrag A pier USE HAcKSAW Te Gut SET AROUND exReum FERENER USE RET PLE oF The can Te rwees Smee setiace wHeRe Es mabe 40 AS mT Te BE WAZARD Te BreosMASON JAR FEEDER ‘The mason jar feeder illustrated can be made from recycled materials. The jar can be of the jelly jar type with lid. The canning jar already have a hole in the lid. ‘The jelly jar type will need to have a large hole made into the lid. Use a scrap piece of plywood and place the lid on top of it. Use the lid to make a template on the plywood by drawing a circle with @ pencil around the lid on to the wood. Next, saw the plywood around the pencil drawn template until you have a wooden disk. Now, use a compass to draw a circle inside the disk leaving at least % inch edge to the disk. At this point, you should have a fiat wooden donut. Take a drill and bore tubes from the outside to the inside of the disk forming feed tubes for the scratch or grain to leach out. At this point again, use the wooden disk to make a duplicate template without the holes to be used later as a base plate to secure the lid and wooden disk to the bottom of the pan. It is easier at this time to use a drill to pre-drill the holes for the wood screws needed to attach the entire assembly together. Use a drill bit smaller then the width of the screws to ensure a tight fit with the base. Using all the wood screws, through the upside-down jelly jar lid, through the wooden disk, through the aluminum pie pan, and into the solid ‘wood disk to provide a stable base. Once this is done, fil the jar with feed, screw the lid on which is attached is the pie pan, and tum it upside-down. The feed will flow out the lid, into the interior of the wooden disk, through the feed tubes and into the pan. As the birds eat, it wll automatically replace itself. - Frege ves Se waboenEGG CANDLER ‘An egg candler is a device used to check whether the egg embryo are developing. Maybe used also to check for blood spots in food eggs. A single lamp reflector is used with a 75-watt to 100-watt light bulb. A card board disk is cut fo the same diameter as the reflector. A hole is cut out of the middle % the size of a egg. The entire disk is wrapper with aluminum foil on both sides and attached to the reflector using cloth line pins. The egg is placed over the hole in the disk to check the development. This should be done on the 10" day of incubation. Remove infertile eggs to give more room in the incubator. Clore ALUmrdum Fort ate WRAPPED AReUND A : CARDBOARD Cx@eLE wErw A Hee Tv PAE PELE, SINGLE LAMP LaSTYROFOAM INCUBAT! This chick incubator can be made to any size desired, and by any handyman. The incubator itself is a Styrofoam ice chest. Inside is a raised wire ‘mesh floor setting on wooden blocks. This creates an air space below the eggs to provide heat all around the eggs. ‘A thermometer is located at the level where the eggs are. This is to provide an accurate reading. A plexiglass window is installed over a hole cut into the top of the ice chest so the eggs can be observed. The heat source is a 50-watt light bulb wired into a dimmer switch as to control the temperature, The light fixture is the pull-chain type. This fixture is screwed into @ wooden base plate made of scrap wood. A hole will need to be ‘made in the lid of the ice chest to allow for the electrical wires from the fixture to pass. Another base plate is placed on top of the lid. The two base plates are screwed into each other with the ice chest top in between. This will give the support needed to hold the light fixture in place. Both base plates have holes in the center to allow the wires to pass. ‘You should test the incubator for a few days prior to adding the eggs. This is to achieve the desired hatching temperature of 103 degrees ‘F and it is kept as near to that degree as possible until the end of the hatching period in 20 days. ‘Tum the eggs twice a day at regular intervals. Give no moisture until the 17 day. For moisture, put a wet sponge the size of an egg and place it into a flat cup. To wet the sponge, simply dip it in hot water to renew it during the egg turning times. If they do not hatch until the 22% day, the temperature was to low. If they hatch on or around the 18" day, the temperature was too high. If the chicks come out weak it indicates the temperature being too high/low.POST BE, ‘The post and beam chicken pen illustrated here can be built to any desired size. This one is fashioned for a 20 foot wide by 40 foot long to hold over 300 hens. The only dimensional wood used in its construction is 2x12 PTW around the ‘outer edge used to secure the chicken wire to the ground and prevent the hens from digging out and animals from digging in. Wire cable is strung along the top comers to serve as an inexpensive corner to span the distances between post. Nylon cable ties are used to secure the chicken wire to the cable. ‘The post and beams are made of straight trees, cut the previous winter. They were de-barked and allowed to season in a barn. The beams are secured atop the post by use of cheap rebar used as large nails and hammered into place. ‘You may have to pre-dril the beam so as not to crack the log when hammering the rebar nail into the post. Bean Avcoe FARESNEST FOR EGG-EATING HENS During the winter months, hens frequently acquire the habit of eating their own 998. In fact several hens maybe seen waiting for another one to leave her nest, of even drive her off, so they may pounce upon the egg. Sadly, there is no Temedy, except to find a method of protecting the egg from the hens. The easiest way of doing this is to build a nest in which the egg will drop out of reach. This nest for egg-eating hens is built from % inch plywood with three sloping false half floors. One depressed below the other to make a space through which the egg can roll down to the bottom. An access door is made into the side of the nest, however it may be from the back, through which the eggs can be removed. The false floors and nest should be covered with a coarse carpet like astro-turf, ‘On the bottom floor, padding should be used to prevent the egg from breaking. If the eggs do not roll down at first, they will be pushed down by the first attempt of the hen to attack them.WATER RACK FOR CHICKENS Build a crate of lath 2 feet square inside area and no more then 3 feet high. Nail a ledge on which the hens can land and perch on. The water rack should be no more than 2 ¥ feet off the ground. The chickens will soon learn to fly up to and drink by putting com on the ledge. This rack keeps the chickens from fouling their water or scratching litter into it. Insure the water rack is secured to the wall of the coop.DOUBLE-SIDED CHICKEN FEED HOPPER Build a wooden box no bigger than 18" x 18” inches and 6 inches deep. Remove two opposite sides and saw 3 inches off the bottoms. Nail these 3 inch wide strips across the open sides at the bottom. This forms the feed plate on both sides of which the poultry eat from. Next, attach the boards which were partly used to make the feed plate and insert into the front and back of the box. Screw into place as shown at a slanting inward position until a space of 2 inches is left between the two bottom boards allowing the feed to pass through. ‘The feed is poured into the hopper which runs down into the box at the bottom as. fast as needed. Hinges, a latch, and handle should be added for convenience ‘and mobility. A variety of grains can be added to the hopper like wheat bran, com. meal, linseed meal, whole com seed and oats. versDRINKING FOUNTAIN FOR CHICKS ‘An automatic refillable drinking fountain, which is impossible for small chicks to drown or even stand into foul their water is illustrated here. A large tin can with holes punched in the sides near the top is filled with water. A pan just a bit larger is placed upside-down on top of the water filled tin can. ‘Tum the two over quickly and place where you want it. Water will seep out of the tin can via the holes tll the water level in the pan is above all the holes. It wll then stop at the level since no air can replace the water lost in the can until the chicks drink the water level down. abe tres ree ee cagce iE : 2 fea oo | 1440) Pra od waver ”FRAME This A-Frame tractor is designed for 4 hens. The roof is made of corrugated tin sheets available at any hardware store. Plywood for the sides and bottom, the ‘open yard below is covered with chicken wire, Vent holes covered with wire are on both sides. The hens enter and exit the tractor via an access hole in the flooring. A perch roost is built for the hens to rest on and gain better leverage in and out of the access hole during their early months of development. A ramp could be used in place for the perch if desired. err ay eet Balt Bias wee’ The tractor is moved by two people by the moving poles attached. Access to the nest section is provided by installing hinges on that side of the tractor as shown. ‘Access to the whole inside is provided by hinges on one side of the roof. The hens litter and water can be changed and feed hopper refilled. This tractor can be easily made by any handyman with minimum skill. The dimensions of this tractor are 4 foot by 6 foot nAches 78 = Tew REDGE cap CORRUGATED Tin! sHEETs PLywoen, Ate YEW Hove D¥Axso! arcULTRA-LITE TRACTOR The tractor illustrated here is ultra-lite in weight and easily moved by any elderly or handicapped person. its structure is made of PVC piping with 3-way and 4- way connectors. 1 % inch PVC pipe is sold in 10 foot length. In this design, all 10 foot pipes are cut into half sections of 5 foot each. Nine pipes of 1 % inch outside diameter (.D.) will need to be purchased. Two pipes will need to be cut into 1/3 lenghts of roughly 3 foot each. The remaining seven pipes will need to be cut in haifs of 5 foot each. The PVC fitting needed are listed as follows: Two 1 %inch tee's Two 1 % inch 4-way ell's Eight 4 % inch 3-way ell’s To cut the PVC pipes, a miter box and saw or a plumber's pipe cutting tool can be used. 1. Cut the pipe squarely as possible. 2. Deburr the pipe out end if needed with a pocket knife. 3. Coat the end of the pipe and the inside surface of the fitting with pipe cement. 4, Assemble the joint and give the fitting a fraction of a tum to make certain the cement has been evenly distributed. Once the structure is assembled, obtain nylon netting from any lawn and garden center. Nylon netting is used to secure straw to freshly tilled earth in order to promote lawn seed to grow. Fashion the nylon netting as desired around the structure and secure the netting to the PVC structure with nylon cable ties every 12 inches. ‘Shading material can be placed on top of the structure for the chickens to help during the heat of the day. Also, nesting boxes can be made of heavy cardboard and attached inside the structure for the hens to use during egg laying. Lay a sheet of plastic above the cardboard box and secure it in place to protect the box during bad rainy weather.Pie ForENa ie” B-WAY GuL a ENYLON NET se 3" seunee Sie CABLE ress SINGLE HEN COOP This single hen coop is easily made by using 2° x 2" lumber. It is simple to move by the aid of the handles at the apex at each end. A convenient length is about 6 feet long, with 2 feet being the coop nest area. Figure #1 shows the bottom 2x2's attached and cut at a 45 degree angle using 4 miter saw.Figure #2 shows the attached running board. Figure #3 shows the apex attached at flat surfaces to the ridge pole. A simple attachment. Figure #4 shows the alignment of the plywood roof to the ridge pole and support frame. Figure #5 is a square piece of leather or metal flashing nailed across the apex to form a hinge. Figure #6 shows how access to the nest and chicken are provided. ‘The roof and bottom of the yard are covered with wire or nylon netting and nailed into place with “U" shaped nails. If desired, the hen maybe allowed the freedom of the yard or maybe held in the coop by covering the front side with wire as shown.CHICKEN CATCHER ‘When trying to harvest a chicken, it usually will wear you out chasing it. Here is a better way. Fasten a hoop of plastic or metal to three pieces of string at equal radius on the hoop. Then attach all 3 strings to a single line which is thrown over a tree branch. A sack or net is attached to the hoop. Com is used as bait to attract the chickens to your trap. When the right chicken comes into the hoop, reel them in! Hf netting the chickens won't work, here is another option to consider. You get them drunk! This works on geese or ducks by using vodka or gin over pieces of bread (not too much, just enough to wet the bread). Two pieces of soaked bread and the bird just fall over and you can pick them up. For chickens, vodka or gin over their scratch (not laying mash), let soak for two or three hours in a covered container. Feed it to your chickens and in a short time, they will fall over with wings flapping. This does not hurt them. If left alone, they will soon recover and go about their business. wiree Hoo? AiraeneoROTATION TUNNEL SYSTEM The English developed the rotation system. This method relies on short, intensive grazing by the hens in rotated sites. The English use the method to raise up to 400 hens per acre. The toxicity of the soil after being used by s0 ‘many birds on such a small area, concerned law makers, so the rotation tunnel system was born This system works by placing a movable tunnel pen next to door ports which connect to a runway that is only large enough to allow hens through to the tunnel pens. The pens can be as large as desired or can be moved. ‘Once the site has been glazed, the tunnel is rotated to the next site where the process repeats itself. This way the site gets a period to “cool off, get weathered, and soil toxicity can stay in check with the environment without causing great demands on the owner. AERIAL VEW coor Rue omy Lance —Eueven re Acco ea eraovea rs Tow. eeHOOP-STYLE PEN This hoop-style pen is easily constructed by any do-it-yourselfer. The pen is based on a wooden frame that serves two functions. It offers foundation support for the hoop structure and also acts as a sled so it can be dragged around at your desired site. The pen is moved via pull ropes attached securely to one side of the slediframe, Ten foot by 1 % inch PVC pipe make-up the ribbed structure. Two 10 foot pipes are connected together and bent downward as 80 can be attached to the sledfframe with pipe clamps. The backbone at the top of the hoops is a 10 foot PVC pipe secured to each PVC rib by long screws with wing nuts. A drill is used to bore a hole through both rib and backbone pipes and secured and squared. The entire hoop structure is covered with chicken wire and fastened by nylon cable ties. A tarp is used to shade for the birds and can be rolled down to the bottom of the sledframe during foul weather. ‘Aused screen door gets a second life by being secured to the frame using cross beams for support. onCOLD FRAME COOP This interesting set-up uses a cold frame made of sheets of plastic laid and ‘secured to nylon fence netting held by strips of 2x2 wood. During the winter ‘months, face the cold frame attached to the coop to the south so as to take advantage of solar passive heating during the day. A winter crop such as lettuce will grow very late into the season provided by the cold frame. ‘The hens use oxygen produced by the crop and the hens exhale carbon dioxide that is used by the plants. The hens will mulch and deposit manure high in nitrogen around the winter crop. It is recommended to place a layer of straw as mulch inside the cold frame as bedding for the hens. After harvesting the winter crop, allow the mulch to weather in the open air. The following season will bring earthworms, and soil rich with life just below the mulch. This is excellent for your spring garden spot. ”STRAW BALE COOP ‘A super cheap priced coop can be made of bales of straw. The bales are stacked just like clay bricks. Half bales are made by threading rope through a full bale by using a long metal rod with an eye hole to thread the rope through. Insert the large needle through and tie off around the bale to secure it tightly before cutting the old strings. Next, rebar or wood stacks are driven down through the bales to add structural support to the wall A roof is made of 2 x 4 framing with corrugated tin attached to the framing. The roof should be a slight slant to allow rain water to run off. To prevent the coop from decomposing or wicking up water into the ales, the structure should be placed on a support foundation so as to keep the walls as dry and clean as possible. The bales make excellent thermo insulator against foul weather for the birds. It also acts as a bio-filter against odors. ”aM Tess eupp oer Coftuyate Tes! Root Ba eeeap wove, Rees ”DOUBLE TRAP DOOR COOP This double trap door is made of scrap lumber. The laths were salvaged off wooden pallets. The hinges are made of either thin metal strips or leather nailed into place. _ StREYS oF Learuee Se rian merae Ae LAT sauvagen Feem woven Paters 18ELECTRIC BARREL-STYLE CHICKEN PLUCKER ‘One of the most efficient mechanical pluckers are the barrel-style models. Hand plucking can be a time consuming and tedious job. The barrel-style plucker illustrated here can be made of recycle parts. Some carpentry, and metal skills are needed. This plucker consist of a 2.x 4 wood frame bolted together that surrounds a 5 gallon plastic bucket that has had it's bottom cut out (see side view). &, Bee ante Oa 5 gallon Bucket oon eog™ ~ SS ss The inside diameter of the wood frame is the same as the outside diameter of the 5 gallon bucket. Before advancing to far ahead, the rubber fingers should be installed in the bucket before securing it to the frame. At the bottom of the frame, 8use 2 x 4 wood for cross support which also serves to hold the shaft and plate later. The bottom view illustration shows the 2 x 4 support frame. Here, the shaft and pulley are rotated by a automotive belt. The belt is attached to another pulley on a%H.P. Ag motor bolted to the 2 x 4 frame. seeew vo how pucker” 78 FRAME RuBBEe Fugees aKY c@oss De syponr Bam é Bottom view ‘The top view shows the arrangement of the rubber fingers on the inside of the 5 gallon bucket and on the 1/8 inch thick metal plate. When the barrel plucker is tumed on, the scalded chicken is dropped inside the 5 gallon cylinder. Here the 5 gallon bucket does not move. However, the bottom metal plate spins like a centrifuge pump. Here the bird tumbles and the fingers flail away the feathers. In 6about 15 seconds the bird is plucked and undamaged. The feathers end up in a pile under the plucker. ax support FRAME moron te Ge MoroR, FRAME Top view onSide view The shaft assembly of the plucker is improvised. A bolt with threads at both ends will make a nice shaft. Acquire matching nuts (at least 3 of them) with washers. The size of the shaft can be of any desired size on hand. However, two pillow blocks will be required. Pillow blocks sizes range from % inch to 2 inch. ‘Therefore, if the pillow blocks are 1 inch |.D., then your shaft bolt will have to be 1 inch O.D. with 1 inch I.D. matching nuts and washers. Pillow blocks are basically ball-bearing set in a cast iron housing. The housing come in 2 to 4 bolt design. ‘The pillow block support the shaft and allows rotation at high speeds without wear and tear. onAPIS FRAKE ~ YBowr Fi Pastad brett penove MTF RETHREAD SHAFT by / 4 (ear ade Grinding shaftTo convert the threaded bolt into a key that will fit both your metal plate and pulley is simple (or as simple as | could get it). First screw on one nut on to both ends of the bolt. Grind down one side of the threads flat. Then flip bolt 180 degrees and grind down the opposite side flat. To re-thread the shaft, simply unscrew nut. As it screws over the threads, it will re-thread the shaft. Once this is ‘complete, do other end the same. ‘The bottom of the barrel plucker is made of 1/8 inch thick metal plate salvaged from the flat side of a non-working cloth dryer. The cut off end of the 5 gallon plastic bucket was used to make a template on the dryer with a grease pencil. A jig-saw with a metal cutting blade was used to cut it out. Once done, be sure to grind the edges of the plate smooth of burr’s. Next, use a square to find the true center of the plate, once found, use one end of the shaft to make a template of the key on to the true center of the plate. SHAFT Bar ore ay: wy Pet fo | Bas FLatae FELLOW Besek Home anoe Key peiDeD wars Bottom shaft assembly anTop vEew OF Saar Tor veew OF METAL PLATE. ri of BT FLANGE BO PELLOW Buock: SHAFT Top shaft assembly ‘Once done, use jig-saw to cut it out. At this point, start to drill your holes into the Plate and insert the rubber fingers into place. After that is done, line-up the shaft with plate and judge where the holes will need to be drilled through the 2 x 4 ‘wood support frame to access the bottom assembly. Line-up and assemble the shaft with all connecting parts. insert shaft through pillow blocks that are bolted to the wood support frame. ‘The last home made key hole is made out of a round piece of metal that has been drilled out to match the key on the shaft on the bottom. Once done, the key hole piece is welded into the pulley then attached to the shaft. The last thing to ado is to slip on the automotive belt. Adjust the Ag motor to take up any slack in the belt. Plug the piucker in and toss those chickens in. ‘The speed of the plucker is very important. Too fast in the chicken will turn into a liquid. adjust the speed using a dimmer switch. Starting at the slowest speed Possible, | adjust the speed accordingly from there, only increasing the speed to obtain the desired result (experimenting). voLOW-TECH NON-ELECTRIC CHICKEN INCUBATOR AND BROODER Before the age of electrical appliances, our forefathers and people in developing nations even today utilize devices that require no electricity to operate. This device can be built as large or small as a handyman would lke. ‘The homemade incubator ‘The basic principle to the following incubator is what I refer to as a box within a box design. Similar to @ portable ice cooler, but weighting 300 Ibs. The material needed can be found at any hardware store or from your own surplus and built on the cheap. The two heat sources used here are either the hot-water stand alone design or oil-lamp design. The hot-water design is more reliable as it needs less supervision in my opinion than does the oil-lamp design. Since the lamp may require watching of the open flame involved. The hot-water design retains its heat by absorption (rule two of thermodynamics), with the help of a surrounding insulator. This insulator maintains the hot-water inside for long periods of time. Usually 12 hours between servicing the unit. This average is based on the unit having been placed in a room where the temperature does not go below 60 degrees F. Your choice of insulators depends largely on the builders preference. Inthe old days, wood sawdust was and can still be used. Others include foam packing pellets (peanut foam), straw, ground com cobs, or commercially available insulation such as fiberglass, pink panther roll, etc.. ‘The device floor board is using wood 1 inch thick due to the weight of the device with a full hot-water tank. The outside diameter of your box within a box depends: upon the builder choice. Your main concem at this point is to allow at least 4 inches of distance between the walls of the inside box to the walls and top of the outside box. ‘The outer /inner box Next, place four post of desired height at each comer of your floor board. Let's say 24 inches high 2 x 4's or 2 x 2's marked (A). these can be nailed from underneath the floor board. Attach your side boards to the four post, but leave the top and front open for now to make working on the inner box easier. Now keeping in mind that you will need 4 inch gap between boxes and if your post (A) aInner / outer support post are 24 inches then your inner box must be a maximum of 20 inches high to adjust for the 4 inch gap between boxes. Therefore, the inner box post (B) need to be adjusted accordingly. C and D are the length and width desired by the builder. At this point, nail on the side boards to the inner box as done on the ‘outer box. Cleats can be used to secure the bottom of the inner box to the flooring of the incubator. ‘To make the inner box with parts installed, refer to E and D. part E and D of the inner box are made of 1 inch x 1 inch strips to hold the egg draw (E) and, the hot- water tank (F). Note that iron rods (G) are placed crossways on the tank shelf to support the heavy weight of the water tank. These rods or angle iron should be ‘counter sunk into the 1 x 1.strips as to prevent their movement. 2Interior parts of inner / outer boxes Ventit (H) is a ventilation tube to allow fresh air into the egg draw from below. This tube ccan be of PVC or metal. The only main conoem is that the tube be 1.% inch inside diameter (|.D.) for a proper flow of air to the egg draw. The tube is held in *place by common brackets. Use on insulation in the vent tube draw. Your only concem here is to make sure that no outside air enters the device except through the vent tube. Egg shelf ‘The drawer holding your eggs must have 4 inches deep outside measurement. Removable trays within the draw maybe included into the drawer design by the builder (1). Egg drawer and hot-water tank *This is so you maybe able to switch the direction of the eggs laid in the drawer as fast as possible to prevent heat loss due to the device being open. Wooden strips (L) are nailed to the inside bottom of the shelf to support the trays (I). Whatever the handyman desires for his egg drawer, the bottom of the drawer that supports his eggs is the most important part of the drawer (kK). Thin wooden strips or lath is attached lengthways in the trays, and a old linen bed sheet of 100% cotton should be tacked along the inside to prevent the new chicks from falling between the wooden laths into the vent tube section, but still allowing the vent tube to funetion in bringing fresh air to the egg trays via through the linen sheet and lath ‘wooden strips. Notice that the front of the shelf has a 4 inch gap (J) to allow for insulation. Hot-water tank The hot water tank should be made of galvanized iron or similar material to hold its thermo energy. The minimal depth of the tank must be 7 inches. The length and width can be as desired by the builder. The tank is supported by the 1x 1 strips (F) and iron rods (G). The tank has a spigot in front to drain cool water (N) and a inlet tube on top (M) to allow for hot boiling water to be poured into the tank. The spigot must be long enough to pass through from the inner box, through the insulator and finally the front face of the outer box. The same goes for the inlet on top of the tank. ‘Now, install all the components into the inner box. Fashion on the inner box wooden top and front face plate in front of the vent and tank drawer. Next, install ‘outer box top and face plate with holes allotted for the vent tube (H), spigot (N) and inlet water tube (M). Be sure you place insulation (J) in front of the vent tube (H) and tank drawer (N) to hold in the thermo-heat from the tank. Qiltamp design The next illustration shows a device attached to the incubator water tank which is called a boiler. It is a simple device, very similar to today closed loop heating furnace. Notice the inlet (M) and outlet (N) tubes protrude from one side of the incubator. Heat rises by convection in the boiler. Cool water comes from the outlet tube (N) into the boiler, is heated and rises to the outlet tube into the tank, completing the recycle loop. 728ller n There are two ways to make your boiler. The first is a double iron jacket boiler. A ‘smaller boiler surrounds a larger iron jacket. The dead space between them is filled with plaster. Modem fiberglass insulation is non-flammable and can be used ‘a8 a wrap around the second boiler design. A single iron jacket boiler wrapped with non-flammable insulation on all sides and top to prevent heat loss from the boiler, but leaving the bottom exposed to the heat in the chimney of the oil-lamp. Operation tfyou chose the hot water design, fill the tank up but not to the top with boiling water. Allow to set for 48 hours so that every inch of the inner box can absorb the thermo-heat. The same is said of the oil-lamp design. Before putting in your eggs, the heat must be 115 degrees F. The eggs well ‘absorb some of the thermo-heat and cool down the incubator. Normal operating temperature should be as close to 103 degrees F until the end of the hatching. A thermometer can be placed on top of the eggs to observe the temperature inside. A glass or plastic window will need to be installed in the front of the egg drawer. ‘Also, keep the inlet tube on top (M) closed or plugged when not using to pour water through. It takes 5 hours after the hot water is poured into the tank to raise the temperature in the incubator, so allot for the timertemperature difference. ‘Avoid opening the egg drawer often. This causes rapid heat loss. The vent tube ‘can also be plugged or opened to raise and lower the temperature of the incubator. Cold drafts kill new chicks. Turn your eggs in their trays twice a day, just as a mother hen does to ensure all over heating of the egg. Moisture should be given on the 17" day. A small sponge in a cup placed in the egg trays will do. Home brooder The basic principle of this brooder is similar to the broiler incubator discussed earlier. You will be building a platform to house the chicks and provide a climate they can thrive in, The floor of the brooder should be made of plywood of at least 1 inch thickness (A) with the diameter of what ever the builder desires. Strips of 2 x 2 will need to be nailed around the outside (B) with a 1 % inch gaps made in the middle (D) for vents. These gaps will provide air intake to heat the brooder by convection. Cut a small hole (E) in the floor for the outlet chimney about 1 % inches round. A chimney (F) can be made of a soup can or of similar size item. However, the height of the soup can chimney illustrated is 4 inches tall. A small fence (G) is placed around the chimney so the chicks wont bum themselves against the chimney. It also prevents them from getting into the chimney (F). 20Brooder cut away design ANS ad = ee The fence (G) should be also 4 inches tall Next, use tin flashing of similar diameter as your sub-flooring. Tack it undemeath the bottom of the flooring, over and along the 2 x 2's (B). This will create a dead air space between the tin flashing (C) and flooring (B). The base of the brooder will be the same diameter as the flooring (A). The height of the base will be determined by the height of the oil-lamp and globe you will be using. Leave 3 inches space from the top of the globe (H) to the bottom of the anmetal flashing (C). This will allow plenty of room for thermoconvection to take place. An access door (I) should be built on the side of the base box, to service the oil-lamp (H). 1 inch vent holes (J) should be placed around the base box to provide ventilation to the oil lamp. A large hole (kK) and chimney (L) are added to vent excess heat build-up inside the base box. It can also be plugged to increase heat. Brooder complete a‘A piece of plywood, 1 inch thick of any diameter desired, should be used as the top of the house (M). Use a old linen sheet (N) of 4 inch depth and as long to encircle the top, then staple the end of the linen sheet to it. Cut slits into the sheet so that the chicks (P) will have a enter way into the house. Bui adjustable legs into the house (M) will aid in raising and lowering the height as needed for the chicks. Last, install a fence (0) around the outside of the flooring (A). Paint stir sticks obtained for free at the hardware store make good post. Any type of netting or wire small enough to keep the chicks in will do. a