86 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



QUESTION If a fertile egg be broken before having been incu- 

 bated at all, is there any way to distinguish it from a'fertile one ? 



ANSWER Yes. The germ in the form of a mucous-like spot 

 may be seen attached to the yolk. 



QUESTION How soon after an egg has been placed in the 

 incubator or under the hen can the development of the germ be 

 noticed ? 



ANSWER In a clear white shelled egg a spider-like formation 

 may be noticed on the third day. 



QUESTION What are the best days to test eggs during incu- 

 bation ? 



ANSWER At the end of the 5th, loth and i5th days. 



QUESTION How often and for how long at a time may a set- 

 ting hen leave the nest without injuring the eggs? 



ANSWER It all depends upon the location of the nest as af- 

 fected by the weather. In moderately cool weather ten to twenty 

 minutes each day is sufficient for both hen and eggs. In real warm 

 weather a half hour occasionally will do no harm. 



QUESTION What time is required to hatch duck eggs? 



ANSWER Four weeks, except the eggs of Muscovy ducks, 

 which require five weeks. The duckling pips the shell from 24 to 

 36 hours before they emerge from it. 



QUESTION What change takes place in an unfertile egg after 

 having been incubated five days? 



ANSWER The air cell is a trifle larger than in a fresh egg. 



QUESTION If the air cell in the eggs grows too rapidly, how 

 may it be checked, and if too slowly may it be increased ? 



ANSWER If too rapidly, decrease the supply of air to the egg 

 chamber or increase the supply of moisture. If the growth is too 

 slow, increase the supply of air or decrease the moisture. 



QUESTION Can identically the same rules in all particulars be 

 applied to the operating of incubators of all makes ? 



ANSWER No. Follow explicitly the directions furnished by 

 the maker of the machine in question. 



QUESTION W T hat size incubator is best to buy if the business 

 is to be conducted on a large scale ? 



ANSWER Two hundred eggs. Better buy this size and get 

 more of them than to buy the very large machines. 



