THE INCUBATION OF THE EGG 225 



Custom Hatching. — In some sections custom hatching is 

 becoming popular. This is made possible by the advent of 

 the "mammoth incubator" (see page 194). 



Good-sized centralized hatching plants are appearing 

 in communities where poultry is an important item among 

 agricultural products, and are hatching a majority of the 

 chicks for the surrounding country. This takes the bother 

 of hatching and the necessity of buying an incubator away 

 from the farm, yet allows the producer to develop his own 

 line of stock. The eggs are furnished by the farmer and a 

 charge made for hatching them. 



Incubation of Turkey Eggs. — Turkey eggs may be success- 

 fully hatched in incubators and the poults raised in brooders 

 in a similar manner to chicks. It is the usual custom, how- 

 ever, to allow the hens to raise their own poults. 



When a turkey becomes broody, as evinced by her remain- 

 ing upon the nest at night and becoming angry when dis- 

 turbed, she should be either allowed to set in the nest 

 where she lays regularly or she may be moved. Moving a 

 hen to a nest more suitably located should be done at night 

 and two or three china or hard-boiled eggs should be placed 

 under her as nest eggs. The nest should also be darkened 

 during the day after removal, and the bird allowed off for 

 food and water near night. If the moving is carefully done 

 and the hen is thoroughly broody the change may be done 

 without "breaking up" the hen. After she has been setting 

 for two or three days a clutch of fifteen to twenty eggs may 

 be placed under her, depending upon the size of the bird 

 and the season. A large bird in warm weather may cover 

 the larger number easily. At the time the turkey sets, from 

 seven to nine turkey eggs should be placed under a broody 

 common fowl, and the poults when hatched given to the 

 turkey hen. The number allowed each hen should not exceed 

 twenty to twenty-five. 



Turkey eggs hatch in from twenty-six to thirty days, the 

 average being about twenty-eight. At the time of hatching 

 the first hatched poults may be removed and placed under 

 hens, if they will own them, or kept wrapped in a flannel 

 in a basket in a warm place, or placed in a brooder, thus 

 15 



