DUCK RAISING ON THE FARM 



usually cooled once a day until they pip. A second 

 test may be made about the fifteenth or sixteenth 

 day when any eggs which have died are removed. If 

 dead germ eggs are left in the machines they spoil 

 very quickly and cause a strong odor which makes it 

 necessary to remove them. During the last week or 

 ten days and in some cases for a longer period than 

 this incubator operators supply moisture daily to the 

 machine. This is usually provided by sprinkling the 

 eggs liberally with water which has been warmed to 

 about the temperature of the machine. However, 

 if warm water is not available, water of ordinary 

 temperature may be used although it is not well to 

 use extremely cold water. As a rule the eggs begin 

 to pip about the twenty-sixth day. At this time the 

 machine should be tightly closed up and left so un- 

 til the hatching is over. In case moisture seems to 

 be lacking and the ducklings are having a hard 

 time to get out of the shell the machine can be 

 opened and the eggs sprinkled again. If there seems 

 to be sufiicient moisture, however, the machines 

 should not be opened or disturbed. As a rule it 

 takes ducklings from 24 to 48 hours to hatch after 

 the pipping first begins. It is advisable to leave the 

 ducklings in the incubator until they are well dried 

 off before removing them to the brooder. As a rule 

 the hatching will be entirely over by the twenty- 

 eighth day. 



Brooding and Rearing. Ducklings can be brooded 

 if desired by means of chickens hens. In this case 



131 



