CHAPTER III 

 Incubation 



The successful hatching of hens' eggs into strong, 

 sturdy chicks depends partly on correct conditions of 

 Incubation and partly on the combination of influences 

 affecting the breeding stock which produces the eggs. 



The development of a perfect hatching egg is not the 

 work of a few hours or a few days. Every egg has a 

 pedigree extending back through many generations of 

 breeding birds. Previous to the actual making of the 

 egg in the body of the mother bird, influences have been 

 in operation determining, in large degree, the qualities 

 of the germ-cell and the characteristics which it will 

 transmit to the chick which comes from it. 



The factors of breeding have had a very important 

 influence through the successive generations of the an- 

 cestry of the egg. These factors should have been wisely 

 directed to insure results in the egg favorable to the pro- 

 duction of a chick answering the purpose of the poul- 

 tryman. 



The food and feeding of the parent birds and of 

 the generations preceding them, must have been con- 

 ducive to healthy, natural, satisfactory reproduction. 



Certainly no sickness or tendency to disease, no or- 

 ganic or constitutional weakness, no degeneration of any 

 organ or body-part should have occurred in any of the 

 breeding stock Involved in the production of eggs that 

 are expected to develop into valuable chicks under the 

 influences of incubation. 



FOUR PRACTICAL POINTS. 



Four important conditions relative to the actual 

 parent birds which produce the eggs, are these: 



1. The birds should be well matured. The results 

 of special experiments show conclusively that, other 



