INCUBATION 



173 



improper care of the machine during the idle sea- 

 son than to defectiveness. More of the life of an 

 incubator depends upon care when not in use than 

 upon any other one thing. The main thing to guard 

 against is dampness, but exposure to weather con- 

 ditions of any kind is always harmful. The aim, 

 therefore, should be not merely to keep the machine 

 dry, but where it will be as little influenced by out- 

 side conditions as possible. 



A cellar, no matter how dry, is not a desirable 

 place to store an incubator between seasons. An 

 attic, a loft, or an upstairs airy room not in use are 

 far better. Prior to being 

 stored, the tank if a hot- 

 water machine is used, 

 should be drained while 

 the water is still hot. 

 Both the cap and the 

 faucet should then be 

 left open and the lamp 

 burning with a very low 

 flame until the tank 

 has become thoroughly 

 dry, because of the circulation 

 the faucet and cap. 



SIDE HILL COOP 



Legs in front make roosts^ 

 come level when coop is set 

 on hillside. 



of air through 

 The flame, if allowed to burn for 

 an hour or two, should dry the machine well. The egg 

 chamber should previously be thoroughly cleansed, 

 scrubbed if necessary. No wood parts should be 

 wetted, because where the wood is unprotected 

 with varnish it will swell and shrink more or less. 

 If the inside must be scrubbed, this should be done 

 while the machine is still warm and the doors left 

 open until everything is dry. 



All removable parts should be taken off the out- 

 side and stored in the egg chamber. The lamp 



