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The Cornell Reading-Courses 



DISINFECTING 



Absolute cleanliness is essential to the successful operation of incubators. 

 The germs of the various communicable diseases most common among 

 young chicks are sometimes carried on the eggshells. In order to guard 

 against future infection, the incubator should be thoroughly cleaned and 

 disinfected after each hatch. If eggs are used from flocks that are not ab- 

 solutely free from disease, they should first be dipped in grain alcohol that 

 is 95 per cent pure. The eggs should be dipped quickly and dried im- 

 mediately. However, dipping the eggs kills only those disease germs that 

 are on the outside of the shells. Dipping is of very little use if the breeding 



Fig. 76. — Stages in the escape of the chick from the shell 



stock is affected with white diarrhea, for the germ of it is carried from parent 

 to offspring by a disease germ within the egg. 



In order to prepare an incubator for disinfection, all the portable parts 

 should be removed, as shown in Fig. 77, and these parts should be washed 

 with warm water containing a little soap powder. A putty knife or a 

 stiff brush is excellent to use in removing the pieces of shell and the down 

 that stick to the egg trays and the nursery trays. As soon as the burlap 

 in the bottom of the nursery becomes soiled, it should be replaced with 

 clean burlap sacking. 



After the removable parts of the incubator have been thoroughly cleaned, 



