DIY incubators

[John W Blehm]

I converted some old slides to digital and came across these photos of the first cabinet incubator I built, back in the 80s as I recall.  This was built using redwood from an old kerosene incubator I bought at an auction, a clothes dryer heating element, a squirrel cage fan and automatic turner, with Rainbo bread trays to put the eggs on.  It wasn't great, but I hatched chicks with it. 

In one photo my arm is on an old Leahy incubator that I used as a hatcher.  Above it is a GQF 1205.  I bought it from Victor Hakes at local Midwest Poultry Roundup show in Bay City, Michigan.

[Mike Gilbert]

Who is that kid in the last photo?    And what were all those brown eggs from that you were hatching at the time?   

[John W Blehm]

The cream to brown colored eggs are from pheasants.  My brother, Mark, was big into pheasants and I hatched them for him in the early years.  I also advertised "custom hatching" and had a few local customers bring eggs to me.