HELPS IN HATCHING SEASON 63 



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moisture the first week, very little the second and a 

 great deal the latter part of the last week. But follow 

 the directions from the manufacturer as to moisture 

 and depend more upon the size of the egg air cell than 

 upon any set rule. Turn the eggs at intervals of twelve 

 hours and change the position of the drawers each time. 

 Drawers that are nearest the lamp should be placed 

 furthest away once in twenty-four hours, the front 

 end of the drawer being turned to the back of the 

 machine. When the eggs begin to pip do not disturb 

 the hatch till it is well through, as taking out moist 

 chickens from the machine lowers the temperature, 

 lessens the degree of moisture and impairs the hatch 

 of the remainder. 



A well-known Illinois poultryman, Fred Grundy, 

 was asked to give some elementary incubator advice. 

 He wrote as follows : 



"Practice with the machine until you can run it 

 steadily day and night without any change in the tem- 

 perature of the egg chamber. You should be able to 

 do this in a week. Then put in the eggs. This will 

 lower the temperature of the egg chamber very much 

 unless the eggs are first warmed. I prefer warming 

 nicely before putting in. Very early in the morning is 

 the best time for starting, for the thermometer can be 

 looked at at least once each hour until ten o'clock the 

 following night. If it remains steady everything is 

 right. At the end of ten days you may test out the 

 infertile eggs, and put in one pan of lukewarm water 

 for moisture. Repeated experiments have thoroughly 

 satisfied me that each hatching should be placed in the 

 machine at one time, and no eggs added thereafter 

 even if two-thirds are tested out as infertile. 



"At the end of two weeks the heat of the hatching 

 eggs will be such that you must watch closely lest the 

 temperature rise too high. Be sure that it never goes 



