Hatching with Incubators 139 



that were cooled; seventy per cent, of the fertile 

 eggs hatched in those Where they were not cooled. 



The question still remained as to whether the 

 chicks from the cooled hatches would be stronger 

 or not. Five hundredxhickens were selected for a 

 test. Half had been cooled and half had not been 

 cooled. At the end of four weeks twenty chickens 

 which came from the cooled eggs had died, and 

 fourteen had died coming from eggs that were not 

 cooled. 



This experiment shows that cooling itself is not a 

 vital factor in incubation, and the small difference 

 is in favor of eggs not cooled. After an equally 

 careful experiment the Station in West Virginia 

 reports that: "In using incubators that were well 

 ventilated, the chicks appeared stronger at the age 

 of three weeks, when the eggs were not cooled. " 



The difference between the hen and the incu- 

 bator is that beneath the hen the eggs can get little 

 or no air. Eggs closed in a box and kept at 102 de- 

 grees for three weeks will not hatch. The germs 

 will die. The situation beneath the hen is much 

 the same, and the eggs get no real ventilation 

 except when the hen is off the nest. ^ 



Taking it for granted that your incubator is well 



