Incubation and Incubators 203 



incubators have been purchased that have been 

 little used. 



INCUBATORS 



Before an incubator is purchased for the farm, 

 it should be understood that it will be necessary 

 to devote more time and labor to its manage- 

 ment than is usually given to natural incubation. 

 Even the most successful and experienced poul- 

 trymen feel that there is yet much for them to 

 learn, in order to accomplish the best results with 

 modern appliances for hatching and rearing the 

 various kinds of farm poultry. The 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 undoubt- 



