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ature up to one hundred and three degrees, one hundred and four de- 

 grees, one hundred and five degrees, the first week then something 

 is liable to break, and that is a blood vessel. When the blood vessel 

 is weakened by too rapid growth, its walls cannot stand the pressure 

 of blood, a hemorrhage results, and the blood goes to the encircling 

 vein and causes a blood ring. When you hold up the egg to the 

 light of the egg tester you see the blood ring. The chick is dead and 

 incubation of that egg is at an end. For the first week keep the 

 temperature down to where the old hen would keep it, avoid the dan- 

 ger of a hemorrhage. Too much air will also tend to produce a 

 hemorrhage. There is danger in rushing too much hot air through 

 the incubator, for the albumen evaporates through the porous shell 

 of the egg before the little chick can use it. Lack of moisture in the 

 air will also tend to produce the blood ring. If we draw moisture out 

 of the egg by evaporation, we are drawing water out of the swimming 

 tank in which the little fellow lives somewhat like a fish. 



There are three conditions to look out for. First, to keep the tem- 

 perature within reasonable limits. Second, avoid excessive ventila- 

 tion and lack of moisture in the air chamber the first ten days. Third, 

 don't put moisture in the egg chamber the last week. But some in- 

 cubator manufacturers say you should not put moisture in the ma- 

 chine until the last week, but this is contrary to reason. The rea- 

 son for keeping the air in the incubator moist for the first two weeks 

 is to prevent the bursting of blood vessels. The blood vessels next 

 to the inner lining of the eggs help to take the place of lungs. We 

 can raise the temperature a little the second week. 



In eleven days the chick is perfectly formed; by this time there 

 comes a great change, for after the thirteenth day the swimming tank 

 is dispensed with and most of the albumen which it contained has 

 been used. The water in the egg begins to evaporate faster and the 

 air cell increases in size. From the fourteenth to the nineteenth day 

 increase the temperature to one hundred and three degrees. Animal 

 heat begins to develop. Increase the ventilation also. The blood is 

 circulating through the chick and the little heart is pulsating. Think 



of the change from one cell to a per- 

 fect chick in nineteen days. In the 

 last week we do not use moisture in 

 the incubator. When it comes to 

 hatching, raise the temperature to 

 one hundred and four degrees and 

 put extra moisture in the egg cham- 

 ber by means of wet sponges if the 

 air is dry. 



And now the little chick's lungs 

 get into operation; if you hold the 

 Leghorns. egg up to your ear you can hear a 



little peep. He must have air, but he must get out and get out quick- 

 ly or there won't be air enough. He is provided with a little instru- 

 ment, a regular little ice plow on the top of his bill, for breaking 

 through the shell. He works and works until he has made a little hole 

 in the shell through which he breathes. The egg is then said to be 

 "pipped." Then he works his head backwards and strains to burst 

 the shell. Sometimes the shell breaks, but if it does not, he works 

 away all around the egg. Sometimes he is held by strings of the inner 



