188 Farm Poultry 



successful management of incubators requires 

 close attention and the best thought of the 

 operator. In other words, it is a business that 

 should be thoroughly learned. It should not be 

 entered into with the idea that it is a simpler 

 or easier method of hatching eggs than the older 

 and rather slow method of natural incubation. 



If only small flocks, consisting of from fifty to 

 one hundred fowls, are to be kept, probably it 

 will not pay the farmer who expects but a small 

 cash revenue from his fowls to attempt artificial 

 incubation. Particularly is this true if his fowls 

 belong to one of the so-called general -purpose 

 breeds. On the other hand, if it is desired to 

 keep a larger flock which consists principally or 

 entirely of one of the distinctively egg breeds, it 

 undoubtedly will be best in the end if the art of 

 artificial incubation is thoroughly learned. The 

 natural processes of incubation are too slow to 

 meet the demands of the modern poultry -keeper 

 who is extensively engaged in the business. 

 When one undertakes to produce eggs exclu- 

 sively and desires as many as possible in the 

 winter, pullets will, of course, be largely kept 

 for this purpose, and these cannot be depended 

 on for natural incubation. Under these con- 

 ditions, it will be advisable to resort to the use 

 of incuba.tors and brooders, by means of which 

 the flock can be maintained. It would be quite 



