Hatching the Egg. 33 



moisture, and considerable ventilation are necessary ; while in a rarificd 

 atmosphere, elevated or mountainous localities, a very considerable amount 

 of moisture is necessary to secure even a fair hatch, and not nearly so 

 much ventilation. The tea kettle or the drying of the roads are good 

 guides for evaporation and moisture. Also, in the same locality, there 

 are times when a change of method is necessary, as in sustained droughts, 

 when high, dry winds prevail, or during a long wet season, etc. If the 

 machine is run in a living room, more moisture is needed, and in every 

 case good care should be taken to keep the chicks well supplied with pure, 

 fresh air, by ventilating the room thoroughly at least twice a day, night 

 and morning, when the eggs are being turned. Kerosene odors and 

 exhausted air are very injurious to the hatch. 



From the above it will be seen that the climate and atmospheric condi- 

 tions must be studied and the rig managed accordingly. If the chicks 

 hatch small and look shrunken, and the inner skin sticks to some and outer 

 skin is thick and leathery, they had insufficient moisture and too much 

 ventilation. If they simply failed to break the shell, the birds were weak- 

 ened by insufficient ventilation, and, perhaps, also, a wrong temperature. 

 If the birds are surrounded — "swim"^ — in a gluey, watery substance, too 

 much moisture was applied. If they come out ahead of time, the temper- 

 ature was run too high; if they run over time, it was too low. If during 

 the hatch, through accident, the thermometer registers high for several 

 hours, the hatch will probably be hurried out a little, while if it is low, 

 especially during the first five days, the hatch will drag along, even four 

 days after due. It is best to hang on to the eggs until hope is utterly dead. 

 A bath in tepid water helps such cases quite a bit, and those that "wiggle" 

 are apt to come out; give them time, and with care they will develop 

 usually into healthy chicks. 



Regarding testing of eggs, and growth of air cells, dark-colored shells 

 do not show fertility very plainly until the hatch is about half over. 

 Usually in five days the germ is quite plain in white or thin-shelled eggs, 

 but it is well to place the doubtful ones together and give them one more 

 chance. About two days before exclusion at the final test, all that do not 

 show full development should be discarded. A very little experience will 

 enable the operator to detect the little black, spider-like form with red 

 pulses, and the gradual darkening of the egg as development progresses ; 

 the clear beauty of the infertile egg, and wavy, watery, cloudy appearance 

 of the bad one ; the red ring or black splotch of the dead germ. 



As regards the growth of the air cell, our experience is that no com- 

 bination of circumstances, in our section, will coax them to enlarge in 

 the regular fashion shown in books. With us, two-thirds of the drying 

 down is done the last week. If everything has gone well, the eggs dry 

 down during those last few days about right; if anything has gone wrong 



