Old Freezer Turned Into Incubator

Old Freezer Turned Into Incubator Bobby Colson doesn’t mess around when it comes to hatching eggs. The 87-year-old only started raising poultry a few years ago. His repurposed three-door commercial freezer holds about 2,000 eggs at a time. “The freezer didn’t work anymore, so I got it for free,” says Colson. “I stripped it down to just the cabinet and mounted six pieces of 1-in. metal conduit. They’re tied together and can rotate.” He cut down six old racks to rest on the conduit. A short piece of metal with spokes that pivot is mounted under one piece of conduit and extends through the end of the cabinet. When it’s cranked, the conduit rotates slightly, gently tipping the racks. Because the conduits are tied together, when one moves, they all move. He repositioned the two fans that were originally in the freezer. To provide the needed heat, he mounted heating rings over the fans and connected them to an electric switch with a timer. When he sets it to 101 F, it automatically turns back on when the temperature drops to 100. Colson purchased egg trays to fit the racks. When the trays are full, Colson pulls the metal arm once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the afternoon. Each time, the eggs move a little, first one way, then the other. “I don’t want them to turn over,” he explains. “They move slightly as the hen moves in and out of the nest. That’s what I’m trying to replicate.” He hung drawers behind the third door and placed the freezer/incubator in an unused 18-wheel reefer. The reefer also holds two smaller incubators and some tools. The drawers are for eggs nearly ready to hatch. Depending on the time of year, Colson may fill the incubators with eggs from his 175 quail hens. When they aren’t laying, he’ll go to the local market for fertilized chicken or goose eggs. The species determines how long the eggs stay on the racks. “Quail eggs will stay on the trays for 14 days before being moved to the drawers,” says Colson. “Chicken eggs usually take about 18 days before moving to the drawers. They hatch about three days later. About two weeks later, I’ll take them back to the market to sell.” Once the chicks hatch, they’re moved to old chicken houses with a heat lamp in the center of the room. They go under the lamp when they need warmth. He notes that things don’t always go according to plan. The origin of eggs from the auction market and their fertility may be unknown. “I bought some chicken eggs last year and put them on the racks,” he recalls. “Three days later, they started hatching. Now I have a farmer who says he’ll sell me eggs and at less than they sell at auction.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bobby Colson, 945 Sinkhole Rd., Register, Ga. 30452 (ph 912-515-0294).

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