66 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



liatch well, while the Hamburghs, though fertile, only hatched about twenty-five per cent., he 

 thinks that may have something to do with the failures. It is however right to remark that 

 Hamburgh eggs generally hatch better than any except Houdans. 



It will be seen that, by experiments quite independent of Mr. Halsted's, Mr. Wren has estab- 

 lished the fact that at an early stage a temperature of 106° will kill tlic chicks, and this alone will 

 account for a large number of failures. His communication is also valuable for the positive infor- 

 mation as to the manner in which a hen moves her eggs : that she did move them has long been 

 known, but so far as we know, no positive information as to the extent of her manipulations has 

 been previously obtained. Finally, the agreement of the English with the American experi- 

 mentalist as to the absolute necessity of fresh air will not fail to be noticed ; and in any incubator 

 constructed for the future it would be well, we are convinced, to secure more free ventilation than 

 has hitherto been provided. Be this as it may, the above valuable communications do, in their re- 

 markable agreement, arrive at something like positive knowledge upon the subject, besides proving 

 unquestionably that where regular and intelligent attention can be given, hatching by this means 

 is now perfectly within reach, whatever may be said by some who mask their ignorance of the 

 whole matter by an easy ridicule. At the same time, after what has been stated, we need 

 hardly repeat that success is not easy, and can only be enjoyed as the reward of a care and 

 attention which perhaps can be bestowed upon the matter by comparatively few. 



As a help to the fancier, however, the incubator may be made invaluable. In an article 

 published in the American Standard of Excellence, Mr. Halsted writes of it that " its great use and 

 help is m finishing what the hens begin^-i.e., set your eggs under the hen, and at any time after ten 

 days' incubation remove them to the machine. You can then put another setting of eggs under the 

 hen, and in fact three or four settings in succession will not injure her. By this process your eggs 

 are almost certain to hatch ; your chicks come out strong and healthy, free from vermin and disease; 

 none are trod to death in the nest ; and none are left by the hen and chilled before fairly dry." We 

 have already said that we know several fanciers who do the final hatching of the greater part of 

 their chickens in this way ; and the above suggestion, which only carries the idea further, and 

 is perfectly practicable, may be unhesitatingly recommended. 



In this chapter we can perhaps most, properly mention the hatching by means of hen turkeys 

 as carried on in France by the convenrs or professional hatchers, differing as it does considerably 

 from the natural mode of procuring chickens. The best description of this method of manage- 

 ment is contained in Mr. Geyelin's report to the Directors of the then existing National Poultry 

 Company, and dated July, 1865. "This system," Mr. Geyelin says, "may aptly be called a 

 living hatching-machine, and, in my opinion, it is the very best and cheapest way of hatching, 

 as will be seen by the following description : — The hatching-room is kept dark, and at an even 

 temperature in summer and winter. In this room a number of boxes, two feet long, one foot 

 wide, and one foot six inches deep, are ranged along the walls. These boxes are covered in 

 with lattice or wire-work, and serve for turkeys to hatch any kind of eggs. Similar bo.xes, but 

 of smaller dimensions, are provided for broody fowls. The bed of the boxes is formed of heather, 

 straw, hay, or cocoa-fibres ; and the number of eggs for turkeys to hatch is two dozen, and one 

 dozen for hens. At any time of the year, turkeys, whether broody or not, are taught to hatch 

 in the following manner : — Some addled eggs are emptied, then filled with plaster of Paris, then 

 placed in a nest ; after which, a turkey is fetched from the yard and placed on the eggs, and 

 covered over with lattice. For the first forty-eight hours she will endeavour to get out of her 

 confinement, but soon becomes reconciled to it, \\\\q.\\ fresh eggs are substituted for the plaster 



