Incubation. — Part I 



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tray; D, space between bottom boards 

 for ventilation 





Z22. 



THE PRINCIPLES OF ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION 



Incubators may be divided into two classes : those operated by hot air, 

 and those using hot water. The former system is used the more exten- 

 sively in heating incubators ranging 

 in capacity from 60 to 600 eggs. In- 

 cubators holding 1000 eggs or more are 

 heated by a hot water system. There is 

 little reason why either means of heating 

 should have greater success in hatching 

 than the other, provided the same 



method of supplying the heat to the Fig 16.— Diffusion method. A, Hot air 

 eggs is used and other factors are equal. pipe; B, porous diaphragm; C, egg 



The most successful methods of 

 supplying heat to the egg chamber are 

 by diffusion and radiation. There are machines that combine the two 



principles successfully, and others that 

 use one or the other method with good 

 results. 



Diffusion. — By this method the 

 fresh air enters the heater, is warmed, 

 passes into the upper part of the egg 

 chamber, and is diffused through the 

 pores of a diaphragm of burlap or 

 other material. It then passes down 

 over and around the eggs and out of the incubator through the ven- 

 tilators or heater.* (See Fig. 16.) 



Radiation. — The heat is supplied to 

 the egg chamber by direct radiation 

 from a hot air or hot water tank or 

 pipes. (See Fig. 17.) 



The contact method of supplying 

 heat to the eggs is little used. Al- 

 though this method approaches natural 

 incubation most nearly, it is the least 

 successftd. (See Fig. 18.) 





Fig. 17. — Radiation method. A, Metal 

 radiator; B, C, egg tray; D, ventilators 





Fig. 18.— Contact method. A heated sur- 

 face is brought in contact with the eggs. 

 A, Hot air pipe; B, heated surface; C, 

 egg tray; D, ventilators 



QUALITY AND CAPACITY OF INCUBATORS 



Quality should be the first consideration. The main qualification of 

 a good incubator should be, first-class material put together in such a 

 way that the process of incubation may be carried on successfully, con- 



* Nearly every incubator company has its own method of letting the used air out of its incubators. 



