1856 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



Many accidents may be avoided if the operator forms tie habit of 

 looking at the incubators before leaving the room, making sure that 

 the doors are closed and that everything is in place. 



TESTING THE EGGS 



Probably the most important of the several reasons for testing eggs 

 during the period of incubation is that the person operating the incubator 

 may learn the percentage of fertile eggs and the strength of the germs. 

 If those are known to be unsatisfactory, it may be possible to make such 

 changes in the mating of the breeding stock or in the environment surround- 

 ing the breeding stock as will add to the fertility of the eggs and will 

 ■ 1^^^^^— -B^^^^^^^^M strengthen the germs in them, 

 'W ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H thereby increasing the percentage of 

 . ^1 ^^HjF^^^^^^^^^^HH eggs that will hatch and also im- 

 i. Ti ■'-'' '^'^^^^^9B M^ '-- ' " 'm proving the quality of the chickens 



BitfWi. ■ eP S hatched from them. If infertile eggs 



^fe-'t:^^-- J^'"'-^^«>t«tediiUL^edH are left m the incubator, they are 

 j^^^^^^^-^:l!iill>^^j ^| r^jB likely to make the temperature 



^^^■BHMI^^ ■ '"^^^i^^^M registered by the thermometer non- 

 Y^ IH^BBHiMiiifriiii^iiBBi representative of the eggs as a whole 



^ ^^ ^ . ^ . if a contact thermometer is used, for 



Fig. 66. — Testing eggs: i, Common testitig . . . .. 



device; 2, egg properly held; 3, incubator the temperature of an mfertlle egg 

 lamp; 4, untested eggs; 5, infertile eggs; q^ of ^^^ containing a dead germ is 

 0, good eggs I r 



considerably lower than that of an 



egg containing a strong, living germ. The value of testing eggs during 

 the period of incubation is shown particularly when three or four 

 incubators are set at the same time, for the fertile eggs left in one 

 incubator may be divided among the other incubators, thus saving 

 oil and lessening the amount of labor. Removing the eggs containing 

 dead germs helps to prevent the bad odors that are sure to accumulate 

 during the time when eggs are being incubated. Odors from ducks' 

 eggs are more noticeable than those from hens' eggs, and if they are 

 incubated artificially, it is the more necessary that the bad eggs be removed 

 from the incubator. 



Infertile incubated eggs that have been carefully tested may be sold 

 for a certain percentage of their original value if they are put on the 

 market promptly. Incubated eggs offered for sale should always be 

 labeled as such. In large cities they are used in bakeries and in house- 

 holds for cooking purposes. There is no reason why eggs of this kind 

 should not be used in this way. They are, without doubt, as good as or 

 better than many of the so-called fresh eggs on the market. If white 

 eggs are being incubated and those that are infertile are to b'e sold for 



