Rural School Leaflet 1157 



If the hen seems irritable when the eggs begin to hatch, the oldest 

 chickens may be taken from the nest as soon as they try to get from under 

 the hen, wrapped in a piece of flannel, and kept in a warm place until the 

 others are out. This will keep the hen more quiet, and she will not be 

 likely to kill the younger chickens in the nest or to leave the nest before 

 the remaining eggs are hatched. If the hen is quiet, it is best not to 

 disturb her while the eggs are hatching. The nesting box must be 

 deep enough to prevent the chickens from jumping out. 



With careful attention to the instructions gi\^en, you should have good 

 success uith the eggs. 



I 



VIII. HATCHING EGGS WITH AN INCUBATOR 

 H. P. BUCHAN 



The room. — If an incubator is used for hatching eggs, it is usually 

 best to follow, so far as possible, the instructions sent with it. Most 

 incubators will produce the best results if they are located in a room 

 where the temperature does not vary much, where the air can be kept 

 fresh by good ventilation and mdist by keeping the floor wet. A clean, 

 w^ell-ventilated cellar comes nearest to the kind of room desired. 



Starting. — In order that the incubator shall work properly, it should 

 set level. Lay a carpenter's level across the top and put little wedges 

 under the legs until it is level each way. See that every part of the 

 incubator is in place. Warm the incubator with a rather low flame 

 until the thermometer shows a temperature of 103° F., then turn down 

 the thumbscrew until the little disk over the heater is raised about an 

 eighth of an inch above the opening. After the temperature has remained 

 103° for several hours, the eggs may be put in. It is usually better to 

 put the eggs in the incubator in the morning so that the temperature 

 can be watched closely while the eggs are being warmed to the proper 

 temperature. The germ within the egg is very delicate during the first 

 five or six days, and, if the temperature goes above 103°, it is very likely 

 to be injured and is sometimes killed. 



The lamp. — The lamp should be filled and the wick trimmed every 

 morning. Be very careful about trimming the wick. It is better to 

 brush off the charred part than to cut the wick. Have a piece of cheese- 

 cloth handy for wiping the lamp and the burner clean every time the 

 lamp is filled. 



Turning the eggs. — Beginning with the morning of the third day, turn 

 the eggs each morning and each night. In order to do this, remove the 

 tray from the incubator, place it on top of the incubator or on a table, 

 and roll the eggs on the tray with the palms of the hands. They should 

 be rolled in such a way that the eggs in the center will be moved toward 



