1906.] 



Artificial Incubation. 



209 



would more than compensate the additional first cost and 

 labour in working. 



TABLE v.— COMPARATIVE RESULTS OF VARIOUS SIZES OF 



INCUBATORS. 



Egg Capacity. 



Class of 

 Machine. 



No. of 

 Hatches. 



No. of 

 Fertile Eggs. 



No. of 



Chickens 

 Hatched. 



Percentage 

 of Fertile 

 Eggs Hatched. 



50 



A, B 



26 



970 



771 



79*48 



100 



A, B, F 



23 



1,615 



1,171 



71-27 



120... 



C, D, E 



30 



2,152 



1,539 



71-51 



220 



C 



8 



1,171 



827 



70-62 



360 



C 



2 



422 



323 



76-52 



During the year careful records have been kept of the results 

 from hatching in the natural manner. Twenty-eight such hatch- 

 ings took place, fifteen from April to July, 1905, one in February, 

 •and twelve in March, 1906. Three hundred and fifty-three eggs 

 in all were placed under the hens, and of these 282 proved to be 

 fertile (79'88 per cent.), and 223 chickens and ducklings were 

 'hatched, or 79*07 per cent. If these figures are compared with 

 the results obtained from the machines it will be seen that the 

 result was 5*91 per cent, above the average obtained in the 

 machines, and is to that extent in favour of the hen. But natural 

 hatching took place during only six months of the year ; so 

 that apart from the difficulty of securing broody hens when 

 required and in sufficient numbers (to hatch 4,63 1 chickens 

 about 500 hens would be required), the gain is not so great 

 -as might have been anticipated. 



Hens may be used when available, but could not be relied 

 upon to the same extent as incubators. It may be explained that 

 the twenty-eight hens set do not represent all that were engaged 

 in maternal duties during the twelve months. Many of the hens 

 are allowed to sit for a few days on dummy eggs, when they are 

 provided with a batch of chickens from the incubators, which 

 they rear in the natural manner. This simplifies the work and 

 gives the hens a change or rest. 



The present series of observations, extending over three 

 years, may be fitly brought to a conclusion by tabulating the 

 results arrived at in each of the twelve months, so that they 

 may be compared. 



S 



