66 ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION 



of making the necessary connections with the feed- 

 ing pipes. Some of the larger poultry farms have 

 small gas plants of their own, from which they heat 

 the incubators and indoor brooders. Electricity is 

 also used to a limited extent for heating incubators 

 and indoor brooders, in which case special machines 

 built for this purpose must be obtained. 



There is one thing in connection with the success- 

 ful operation of an incubator which must be perfect, 

 and that one little thing is the thermometer. An 

 inaccurate instrument will cause all kinds of trouble, 

 and is ofttimes the direct cause for unsuccessful 

 hatches. Be sure the thermometer is not cracked 

 and that it has been properly tested. Another good 

 idea is to have an extra thermometer on hand at 

 all times, so as to be prepared in case of a break 

 or something going wrong with the one in use. 



Never use a cheap, inferior oil; it is poor econ- 

 omy. A low grade oil is liable to make the lamp 

 smoke, and will not give the nice, even flame of the 

 better grades of oil. Always use the best to be had, 

 and be on the safe side. 



Great care should be exercised in selecting eggs 

 for hatching, whether they are to be set under a 

 hen or placed in an incubator. To obtain the best 

 results eggs must be obtained from healthy, vigorous 

 breeding stock, and must be freshly laid, two weeks 

 old being the limit. The best temperature for keep- 

 ing eggs is from 40 to 65 degrees, and if an incu- 



