46 



AGRICULTURE. 



LOSS IN WEIGHT OF EGGS DURING INCUBATION. 



(Stewakt and Atwood.) 



Directions for ascertaining the loss in weight of eggs during 

 incubation. 



After placing the eggs upon the trays ready for the incubator, 

 set the trays upon a pair of scales reading to ounces and note 

 the total weight of the eggs and trays. (The trays should be 

 thoroughly dry.) After a few days weigh again. Subtract 

 this from the first weight. This will give the actual loss in the 

 weight of the eggs. 



Example. — Suppose that you have 208 eggs on the trays; 

 that the first weight with trays is 24 lb. 2 oz., and that on the 

 sixth day the weight is 23 lb. 6 oz. Then the loss in weight is 

 12 ounces. Now look in the table for the loss in weight of 100 

 eggs for six days. This is 10 ounces. Ten ounces multiplied 

 by 208 gives 20.8 ounces, which is the calculated loss for 208 

 eggs for six days. Therefore the eggs have not been losing 

 weight as rapidly as they should, and the eggs should be given 

 more ventilation or the incubator should be removed to a drier 

 location. (It is assumed that the eggs are kept uniformly at 

 the proper temperature.) After the eggs have been tested for 

 the infertile ones, weigh again and proceed as before. 



Rules. — If the eggs have lost too much weight, give more 

 moisture, or less ventilation, but in reducing ventilation great 

 care should be used, as pure air in the egg chamber is abso- 

 lutely necessar}'. If the eggs have not lost enough weight, 

 open the ventilators, or place the incubator in a drier place. 

 The table shows normal loss in weight of 100 eggs in ounces 

 for the first nineteen days of incubation. 



Days. Loss in O : . 



1 1.6s 



3 3-31 



3 4-96 



4 6.62 



S 8.28 



6 10 . 00 



7 11.72 



8 13-44 



9 1516 



10 16.88 



Days. Loss in Oz. 



II 18. 60 



12 20.33 



13 22.10 



14 23.88 



15 25. 66 



16 27.44 



17 20. 21 



18 3009 



19 32.77 



