198 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



"For more than ten years past all chicks in the Maine 

 Experiment Station's poultry plant have been hatched in 

 incubators. There has yet to appear any reason for going 

 back to the old system of hatching with hens." 



Payne/ on the other hand, found in contrasting natural 

 and artificial incubation that several interesting differences 

 occur. The incubator according to his data appears to be 

 more efficient than the hen during the first week of incubation, 

 judged by the number of embryos dying, but is conspicuously 

 inferior during the last week. 



Natural Incubation. — The principles involved in natural and 

 artificial hatching are the same. While the effort in artificial 

 hatching is to furnish the conditions found in nature, it should 

 be recognized that nature rarely furnishes optimum degrees 

 of all conditions at the same time. Recognizing the proper 

 conditions of successful hatching, one may assist nature in 

 combining all conditions at their best. 



Kind of Hen to Set. — The best hens for setting are those of 

 medium weight, such as are found among the American and 

 English breeds. They are fairly persistent setters, but are 

 not so heavy as to be clumsy, nor so heavily feathered as to 

 make the eradication of vermin difficult. The Asiatic breeds 

 are very persistent setters, but are so heavy and clumsy that 

 the loss of eggs from breakage is considerable. Their long, 

 heavy feathers furnish a safe harbor for lice. 



The Mediterranean breeds seldom become broody. Such 

 individuals as do take to the nest are unreliable and likely 

 to leave it permanently with little or no provocation. 



The Hatching Nest. — The nest for hatching should be 

 roomy and secluded, and placed where it is cool and the 

 ventilation good. It should be at least sixteen inches square 

 by six inches deep, and placed where the hen will not need to 

 fly or jump into it. If placed on the fioor there is little danger 

 of broken eggs if the nest is made right. 



The nesting material should be of such consistency that it 

 will neither pack, as does dirt, sawdust, or planer shavings, 

 nor become tangled with the hen's feet so that she is likely to 



1 Jour. Am. Inst. Assii. and ln\L'.st. in Puul. Huslj., vol. \ i, No. 2. 



