bators were received late in the season, so could not be included in earlier 

 trials. We are not prepared to state what these machines may do in the 

 way of hatching- or in the production of normal chickens earlier in the 

 season. 



We have tried operating- nearly all the incubators with and without 

 moisture. Had we all of the incubators of one make or one type we could 

 have given more satisfactory results as regards methods of operating 

 incubators to decrease the mortality in the chicks. We have not had in 

 every instance what would be called a check machine in each series. 

 While the results appear to point strongly in favor of the use of certain 

 materials in the way of decreasing the death rate of young chicks, yet 

 these results would be far more satisfactory had we had check machines 

 in each series. 



The tables given will indicate what each of the machines has done 

 for us in our incubator room. Those who have not had any serious 

 mortality in incubator chickens may not have to pay much attention to 

 the preventives suggested here, but my observation has led me to believe 

 that sooner or later, practically :ill operators have trouble in rearing 

 incubator chickens. 



Operating the Machines. 



Our aim was to operate the machines so that the chicks would begin 

 hatching on the night of the twentieth day. Our experience with hens 

 was that they would average to begin hatching at this time. The machines 

 were run at a temperature of ioo° to ioi°, with a clinical thermometer 

 lying on the top of the eggs. A record was kept of the temperatures, 

 also of the temperatures as indicated by the hang-up thermometer. In 

 some makes of incubators it was necessary the first week to run the hang- 

 up thermometer at 105 to get ioo° on the eggs. With the temperature 

 at ioi° and very little airing, except that given while the eggs were being 

 turned, we seldom failed to get the hatch off on time. The temperature 

 the first ten days was usually a little under 101 , and the last ten days 

 nearly 102 . It was difficult, at times, to keep up the temperature at the 

 beginning of the hatch, and equally as troublesome to keep it down 

 toward hatching time. 



The eggs were turned twice daily after the third day and were tested 

 on the ninth day. No test was made after this. We ceased turning thf 

 eggs on the seventeenth day when moisture was used, and pans used in 

 the bottom of the machines were removed on the night of the nineteenth 

 day or the morning of the twentieth. 



Brooding. 



Two makes of brooders have been used in brooding the chickens : the 

 Prairie State Universal Hover and Out-door Brooder, and the In-door 

 and Out-door Model. Most of the brooding has been done with the Uni- 

 versal Hovers, as we had more of them. It may be stated here that we 



