HATCHING AND REARING THE CHICKS. 



Incubating and Brooding by Natural and Artificial Methods 

 —The Necessity of Obtaining Strong, Fertile Eggs— Oper= 

 ating the Incubator— Taking Off the Hatch- 

 Brooding and Feeding the Chicks— Dry Feed 

 Versus Damp Mashes — Free Range 

 for Future Breeders. 



By H. A. Nourse. 



No poultryman has ever achieved success in the poultry 

 business sufficient to make a profit, who has not been able 

 to produce strong, healthy chicks, and to so care for and 

 feed them that they will grow rapidly and develop proper- 

 ly. While there are no momentous secrets connected with 

 this work, there are certain matters and conditions which, 

 must be right, or the results will not be satisfactorj'. 



Strong, fertile eggs are of primary importance and such 

 eggs are produced by none other than healthy, vigorous 

 stock. Other eggs may hatch and the chicks maj' live and 

 grow, but they will not return a satisfactory profit on the 

 money and time invested. Upon the condition of the breed- 

 ing stock, then, depends to a great extent the success of 

 the season's work. 



No one attempts now-a-days to hatch many early chicks 

 without the use of incubators. The use of these macliines 

 has practically revolutionized the business of hatching 

 and rearing, and where one plant was found ten years aga 

 that hatched 500 chickens before April first, fifty are found 

 today. Artificial hatching is no longer an experiment. 

 It has been proved time and time again that better hatches 

 can be produced at les^expense by artificial than by natural 

 methods, if a considerable number of eggs are incubated. 

 The Location for the Incubator. 



Although an incubator will operate successful!}' under 



