INCUBATION. 



185 



five per cent, of the eggs. The most congenial 

 temperature at which the eggs were exposed 

 during the process, he found to be 102 Fahren- 

 heit. When uniformly kept in that degree of 

 warmth, the period of incubation was gen- 

 erally hastened two days. The chickens ar- 

 rived at maturity six weeks earlier than those 

 hatched in the natural way, but were more 

 susceptible to the climate. Notwithstanding 

 they were sweeter, better flavored, and more 

 tender in their flesh, and commanded a higher 

 price in market than other fowls, the business 

 proved unprofitable, and was abandoned with 

 disgust. 



MR. CANTELO'S HYDRO-INCUBATOR. 



Mr. Cantelo, a few years since, established in 

 or near London, what he termed a "Model 

 Poultry Farm." In this institution numbers of 

 chickens, Guinea-fowls, and ducks have been 

 raised by artificial heat most ingeniously ap- 

 plied by "top-contact," so as to produce the 

 same effect on the vitalized germ as the heat of 

 the incubating hen. This heat has been proved 

 by Mr. Cantelo to be as high as 106 Fahren^ 

 heit. The eggs were, in fact, hatched under 

 artificial incubators, which allowed the inferior 

 portion of the egg to remain cool until warmed 

 by the inward circulation of the blood, as occurs 

 in natural incubation, but not when eggs are 

 placed in ovens or heated apartments. "The 

 difference," says Mr. Cantelo, "between top- 

 contact heat and that received by radiation as 

 applied to hatching, is this : by radiation, or 

 oven-heat, the eggs will be hours in arriving at 

 the desired temperature, not only when first 

 put to hatch, but any time afterward, when 

 they may have been allowed to get cool. The 

 eggs, of course, will heat alike over their whole 

 surface, and consequently evaporate equally 

 from every part. On the contrary, heat ap- 

 plied in top-contact penetrates almost instantly 

 and revivifies the germ, and although a much 

 higher temperature is used in this case, in imi- 

 tation of nature, that is, 106 instead of 98, 

 still, inasmuch as but a small surface is heated, 

 the loss of moisture is much less than by a ra- 

 diating heat. The fowl leaves her nest every 

 day in search of food for twenty or thirty min- 



utes ; this must be imitated also, as the tempo- 

 rary loss of heat has the effect of causing the 

 contents of the egg to diminish in bulk, and 

 the vacuum is filled by a fresh supply (of air) 

 drawn in for the nourishment of the germ. The 

 eggs must be moved three times a day, mom- 

 ing, noon, and night, which prevents the adhe- 

 sion of any part of the fluid to the shell, and 

 give the small blood-vessels better opportunity 

 to spread around the surface of the egg. This 

 is effected by nature ; when the fowl leaves her 

 nest or returns to it, she naturally disturbs the 

 eggs, and also from any change she may make 

 in her position while upon her nest." 



The machine itself is very simple ; it consists 

 of a tank or cistern of water, which is heated by 

 a peculiar stove, the heat of which is shown by 

 thermometer. This water is heated to 109 

 Fahrenheit, and flows over a surface of vulcan- 

 ized caoutchouc, the lower surface of which is in 

 contact with a tray, or nest of eggs, and main- 

 tains a heat of 106. The tray is open at the 

 sides, the bottom is made of wire gauze, lined 

 with cotton cloth, and is raised or lowered by 

 wedges ; thus merely presenting a small surface 

 to the lower surface of the caoutchouc, which 

 represents the breast of the parent fowl, and 

 thus only a top-contact heat is communicated 

 to the egg. Around the stove is a warm cham- 

 ber, in which the chickens are put as soon as 

 hatched, and where they remain about thirty- 

 six hours before taking food; they are then 

 placed under the hydro-mother, which consists 

 of a series of pipes, kept at the same heat of 

 106, and under which the chickens nestle as 

 under a real hen. 



There is now no farther trouble. During the 

 first ten days the chickens feed themselves 

 in the house, and are then only permitted to 

 go out in the open air, returning at pleasure to 

 the protection of the hydro-mother. At the 

 end of six weeks they are put into a common 

 roosting-house, and henceforth shift for them- 

 selves. 



It has hitherto been believed that the blood- 

 heat of the feathered tribe was the same as that 

 of the human race, viz., 98. Mr. Cantelo as- 

 serts that it is 106, and he considers this an 

 overlooked fact. Another point is the manner 



