236 THE GARDEN AND FIELD. October, 19 13 



Artificial Incubation. 



— To Cool or Not to Cool. — 



It has been the invariable cus- 

 tom, based on what has been con- 

 sidered natural conditions, for 

 breetlers to jjive daily attention to 

 eggs under the process of artificial 

 incubation, for the purpose of air- 

 ing and cooling them. As is known, 

 eggs when being inculjated by a 

 hen are left in the nest as a mat- 

 ter of course when her ladyship 

 goes forth to forage for food. 

 During her absence the eggs are 

 aired and cooled, for in some cases 

 a hen will remain awaj' from her 

 nest any time from a quarter to 

 half an hour. 



Whether it is essential that eggs 

 shovd.d be cooled and aired is a 

 matter that has taken up the 

 attention of poultry experts in 

 America. By them certain tests 

 have been made to assure them- 

 selves whether those processes are 

 necessary. 



The tests were made at the 

 West Virginia University Agricultural 

 Station, U.S.A., and were careful- 

 ly carried out. White Leghorn 

 eggs were used, and these were se- 

 lected so as to make the eg-gs in 

 the two incubators as similar as 

 possible. Special note was made 

 in each case of the maximum and 



minimum outside temperatures dur- 

 ing incubation. 



The chickens from this test were 

 marked and kept in the same 

 brooder for three weeks, and were, 

 of course, subjected to the same 

 conditions as to food and temper- 

 ature. At the termination of the 

 time there had died i6 chickens 

 hatched from the non-cooled eggs, 

 and 1 8 chickens from those cooled. 

 On weighing, it was foundj at three 

 weeks that the chickens from the 

 cooled eggs weighed 14.7 tt^s. per 

 hundred, while those 4rom the non- 

 cooled eggs weighed 16.8 lbs. per 

 hundred. 



There were, of course, variations 

 in further tests, but 'the whole of 

 the tests are fairly summarisied/ by 

 those having the management as 

 follow : — 



" In the first trial, with the ven- 

 tilators open and with an average 

 maximum and minimum outside 

 temperat|ure of 80 degrees and 54.7 

 degree's respectivel] , a better hatch 

 was obtained, and the chicks were 

 stranger when the eggs were not 

 cooled." 



" In the fi'rst trial, with the ven- 

 ventilators, and with a low tem- 

 perature, the eggs not cooled 

 degrees respective!}-, a better hatch 

 was obtained, and the chicks were 



WANTED TO SELL. 



INCUBATORS AND BROODERS, 

 Simplex, awarded first price (silver 

 medal) Adelaide Exhibition, 1910. 

 Agent for Cort's Patent Cooler-eafe, 

 a boon Ln summer. Send for price 

 list.— D. LANYON, Manufacturer, 46 

 North Terrace, Kent Town. 6-12. 



Eqqs! Eqqs! 



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White Leghorns 

 Black Leghorns 

 Black Orpingtons 

 SilverWyandottes 



15 Eggs to each setting. Guaranteed 

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T. E. YELLAND, 

 S.A. Farmers' Go-Op. Union, Ltd. 



stronger than was the case with 

 other treatment. 



" In tests 3, 4, and 5, conducted 

 simultaneously, with closed ventil- 

 ators, and a high outside temper- 

 ature the eggs not cooled hatched 

 better than the cooled eggs in. the 

 two Cyphers (incubators) , and not 

 so well in the Prairie state (incu- 

 bator). The chicks, however, from 

 the cooled eggs were materially, 

 stronger in all three hatches, as 

 fewer of them died. This woaild 

 seem ,to ii^dicate that in warm 

 weather, when the. circulation of 

 air in the incubator tends to be- 

 come sluggish, and especially with 

 an iusufficieht Qpening of the ven- 

 tilators, it may be advisable to 

 air the eggs for a rieasonable 

 length of time, for the purpose of 

 giving the embryos a more ade- 

 quate supply of oxygen." 



" It is difficult to conceive of any 

 valid rea.son for cooling eggs dur- 

 ing incubation and thus slowing 

 down tbe vital processes, land these 

 experiments seem to indicate that 

 the beneficial effects which un- 

 questionably sometimes result from 

 the cooling process and airing, 

 are due to the airing, and that the 

 cooling of the eggs during the ])ro- 

 ccss below the proper inculvating 

 temjierature, when considered by 

 itself, is deterimental." 



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6 mdnutes' walk from electric tram. 'Phone 273. 



Breeder, Kxhibitor, and Importer of Highest Class 

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 Estahlishrd in 1886. 



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