ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION 



173; 



FIG. 69 SIZE OF AIR CELL DURING INCUBATION 



air cell, shown in Figure 64, may be used as a guide- 

 in drying down the eggs or in adding moisture. 



So far as I am concerned the moisture question, 

 is settled. But I advise purchasers of incubators to- 

 manage them according to instructions first, and then 

 if they fail, they should experiment. If the instruc- 

 tion book says use moisture, use it. Then try the- 

 machine without moisture. You will then have experi- 

 mental and practical knowledge you never could gain 

 without experimenting. Moisture might be needed 

 in high altitudes, but in low altitudes it has been 

 proven to be wholly unnecessary in artificial incuba- 

 tion. 



The loss in weight of eggs during incubation, due 

 to the drying down of the eggs, has been carefully 

 tested and figured out by Horace Atwood of the 

 West Virginia experiment station, who has prepared 

 the following table showing normal loss in weight 

 of 100 eggs in ounces for the first nineteen days of 

 incubation : 



LOSS IN WEIGHT OF EGGS DURING INCUBATION 



