562 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



is turned, its substance will gravitate, the egg will become too dry 

 upon one side, and the chick will become attached to this dry side. 

 Such an event will result in a dead or deformed chick. The whole 

 process of turning is so simple that further explanation seems unnec- 

 essary. As to how frequently they should be turned, once a day is 

 sufficient, though many practice turning twice a day. This turning 

 should be continued from the third until the nineteenth day. After 

 the usual signs of hatching can be heard the eggs must not be moved 

 or disturbed. After the nineteeth day the rule "do not turn them," 

 is imperative. The chick, ready to break its way out, has found its 

 proper position, and to move the egg may so place the chick that it 

 can not work to advantage or that it will drown or smother. 



Cooling. Many successful poultry men pay little attention to 

 cooling the eggs further than to take plenty of time in turning. 

 Much depends upon the machine, and more upon the condition of 

 the atmosphere. If not exposed to draft or sunlight, the eggs can be 

 left outside the machine for fifteen or twenty minutes and be none 

 the worse for the exposure, but, as a rule, an exposure of five minutes 

 is sufficient. That some cooling is necessary seems borne out in 

 natural incubation by the practice of the hen, which leaves her nest 

 from ten to sixty minutes every morning. Of course, the hen may 

 do this for her own accommodation, but it seems to be part of the 

 programme in natural hatching, and better results are obtained when 

 the eggs are cooled somewhat every day. This practice of cooling 

 should be continued to the eighteenth day. Right here it may be 

 well to advise the inexperienced operator to keep the egg chamber 

 closed after the evening of the eighteenth day and until the close of 

 the hatch. 



Moisture. This subject is one upon which opinions differ 

 vastly. In the opinion of the writer much depends upon the incu- 

 bator, its location, and the external atmosphere. All agree that a 

 certain amount of moisture is needed. In natural incubation the 

 hen leaves her nest early in the morning, while the dew is yet upon 

 the grass, and if caught upon her return to the nest her feathers will 

 be found to be wet. Yet some of the most successful hatches have 

 been made by hens that were not allowed to leave the hatching pen. 

 Hence the argument is not settled. But, from the fact that the early 

 morning atmosphere is damp and the eggs are exposed to this moist 

 atmosphere while the hen is off the nest, it is safe to infer that a 

 limited amount of moisture is essential. If the incubator stands in a 

 damp cellar, a very good hatch can be made without the introduction 

 of any moisture into the egg chamber ; while upon the other hand, if 

 the machine is located in a dry room and the weather is dry, a poor 

 hatch can be expected if no moisture is supplied. Many different 

 methods of supplying moisture have been suggested, but most ex- 

 perienced operators incline to the simplest methods. A small sponge 

 saturated with pure water can be placed in the egg chamber and al- 

 lowed to remain there over night, or a saucer containing a, little 

 water can be placed in the bottom of the egg chamber and left from 

 time to time, or the hand of the operator can be dipped in warm wa- 



