ARTIFICIAL INCUBATING AND BROODING 



33— A SAFE AND CONVENIENT BROOD COOP 



the hatches showing that the presence of the gas aided rather 

 than hindered hatching. Ordinarily the incubator room will 

 get sufficient ventilation in winter without keeping the window 

 open. If a number of machines are run in the room it may be 

 necessary to air it out once a day. In summer time a window 

 should be kept open day and night for ventilation. 



HAVE THE INCUBATOR LEVEL 



Care must be taken to place the incubator so that it will 

 not sit in a draft and it should be made as nearly level as pos- 

 sible. Use a spirit level on top of the incubator to test it from 

 back to front and from side to side. If a level is not at hand 

 use a shallow pan of water on top of the machine for the same 

 purpose. If the water is the same depth on all sides with the 

 bottom resting evenly on the top of the incubator the machine 

 is level. Block up under the legs of the machine until you get 

 it right. If the body of the incubator is not level, the egg chamb- 

 er will not heat evenly; therefore be sure that the machine is as 

 nearly level as possible. Be sure it sits firmly. 



WARMING UP 



When starting the incubator run with low l amp flame^until 

 the machine is thoroughly warmed through. Then run with a 

 moderately high lamp flame and adjust the regulating device 

 according to the manufacturer's directions. After securing the 

 proper adjustment the machine should run evenly at a temper- 

 ature of 102J to- 103 in the egg chamber with the center of the 

 thermometer bulb two inches from the bottom of the egg tray. 

 Maintain this temperature throughout the hatch. Rim the 

 incubator empty for a few days until you become famiUar with 

 it and are sure that the regulating device is working properly. 

 After you are siore you understand the operation of the machine 

 and can run it at an even temperature, the eggs may be put in. 

 Do not put in the eggs until you can run the empty incubator 

 at an even temperature. 



SELECTING THE EGGS FOR HATCHING 



Don't be eager to fill the machine to the fullest capacity 

 of the egg trays. Select the eggs for hatching as carefully as 

 you would for use under hens. Be sure the eggs used for hatch- 

 ing are from breeding stock that is in the best possible condition. 

 Eggs from debilitated or unhealthy fowls will only prove a 

 disappointment. If they hatch, the chicks will not do well and 

 the probabihty is that many of the chicks will be dead in the 

 shell or die within the first ten days after hatching. To get the 

 best results use only eggs from sound, healthy breeding stock. 

 Eggs of medium size for the fowl producing them usually hatch 

 best. Very large or very small eggs should not be used. Discard 

 all eggs having misshapen, rough, lumpy or thin porous shells. 



Unless the egg tray is especially fitted for placing the eggs 

 in rows there is no need of so arranging them. Fill the tray 

 with as many as will go in easily, but do not pile up the eggs 

 or attempt to double up by placing eggs on top of a full tray. 



STARTING THE HATCH 



After placing the eggs in the machine, let it alone until 

 the^eggs have had time to warm up, which will take several 

 hours. Then make sure that the machine is holding tempera- 

 ture properly and do not let the heat run above 103 degrees. 

 Too high a temperature during the first week will injure the 

 germs. 



Under all ordinary conditions it will be best to nm with 

 the ventilators closed in hot air machines, having an exhaust 

 or return pipe to the heater, and nearly closed in other types. 

 Too much ventilation is worse than none. The modem machines 

 of standard make furnish ample ventilation and it is seldom 

 necessary to run the vents wide open. In case of doubt, consult 

 the directions furnished by the manufacturer. He should know 

 best the proper conditions for securing good results with his 

 machine. 



Run the incubator lamp with a moderately high flame at 

 the start, gradually reducing the height of same as the hatch 

 progresses, until you are running with the minimum height 

 flame necessary at hatching time. This ife necessary on account 

 of the constantly increasing radiation of animal heat from the 

 eggs as the embryo grows and becomes more vigorous. 



TURNING THE EGGS 



After the second day it will be necessary to turn the eggs 

 twice a day; these turnings should be as nearly twelve hours 

 apart as possible. The writer prefers to turn eggs by removing 

 them from the center of the tray to the ends and rolling the bal- 

 ance inward toward the center with the flat of the hand. This 

 is the most satisfactory method and is easy and simple in prac- 

 tice. It tends to even up any inequaUties of temperature in 

 the egg chamber and gives all the eggs an even chance to hatch 

 well. In addition to this the position of the trays should be 

 changed from side to side at the morning turning, when two or 

 more are used, and turned from end to end at the night turning 



34— A MOST SATISFACTORY FEEDING TROUGH 



38 



