The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-16
Philadelphia Record.

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The eggs are undisturbed for. the first
three or four days. At the end of that time
they are assorted, or tested, by holding them
to a strong light, such as the sun, or. lamp
light in a darkened room. The eggs, if dark
objects appear within, are fertile; if h eeggs
are transparent, or clear, they are probably
untertile. To makesure, the operator. waits
until the eighth or tenth day, when the. diff
ference between the fertile and unfertile
eggs will be very marked. When tested the
egg should besdarkened except that. portion
through which the light passed. A tester
can be made by using a tube of pasteboard,
placing the egg at one end and the eye at
the other, and directing the egg-end of the
tube toward the light. The eggs are sprink-
led once a day after the fourth. day to the
tenth, then twice a day to the fifteenth day,
and then three or four times daily till the
twenty-hrst. The eggs are turned every
four hours during the day, and, if conve-
nient, also during the night. Strong chicks
(the only ones worth saving) are left to them
selves when coming out, no assistance being
needed; but a damp cloth is kept over the
eggs when about to hatch, and pie-pans of
water are kept on the bottom of the ventila-
tor-box for furnishing moisture. From so
to los degreesis the heat required, the regu-
lar temperature to maintain being 10S. The
eggs are allowed to cool down to rs degrees
at least once a day. The tubes in the VEN
llldGOE-DO4 40 not eAUenQ up 10 Tie eSSS, Ddt
the air passes in, absorbs moisture from the
water, passes through The muslin bottom OF
the drawer, is there heated, and usually re-
mains until it passes out when the drawer is
opened. Five gallons of oil are used during
the three weeks to each large heater. About
two days are required to get the apparatus
thoroughly heated to the requisite tempera-
ture; but this slow generation of heat is bal
anced by a corresponding reluctance in part
ing with it, which ccounts fol
the even temperature SO easily
obtained. No regulator of any kind
is used. The incubator is merely heated
and operated for a few days in order
that the handler may become familiar with
it, when the eggs are then placed in the
drawer. The difficulty is rather too much
heat instead of too little. 1t may injure the
eggs to raise the temperature too high, but
the danger is less than when the heat is def
Gent. Two of the above incubators for a
short time were heated to 11oo, but the re-
suits were good.
After the chickens are Matched they re-
ceive no food for twenty-four hours. They
are then fed on fnely-chopped hard-boiled
eggs, the refuse ones from testing being good
for the purpose. In two or three days the
food may be varied so as to consist of fresh
milk, oatmeal we'll moistened with milk,
moistened cornmeal, screenings, and, as they
get older, with chopped cabbage, boiled po-
tatoes and such other food as may be rel
ished. Avoid feeding dry meal or bran.
They are cared for by an artificial mother,
made on the principles of the incubator,
except that the zinc is at the top instead
of the bottom of the heater, the heat
passing in and finding an outlet through
pipes, at the side instead of the top. Above
the heater a stream OF air passes, is heated in
its passage over the zinc, and comes out in
an inch tube into the brooder, which is a box
with a wooden fringe extending all around it,
through which the chicks push and pass in
or out. The air thus is pure, and, as the tube
extends to the top of the brooder, the warm
air is above the chicks, and diffuses itself all
around them. Some operators intend to ex-
pertinent with hot water-tanks for this pur-
pose. So far Mr., Presley has notlost asingle
chick from any cause except accident, and
they are nearly four weeks old. The other
operators nave not had the care of their
chicks but little over a week, and the latest
report from Mr.. Crowell was that he had
sustained no loss. Mr.. Packard, however,
lost a few, owing to mistakes in management.
Whether incubators are reliable may per
haps be decided by studying the above re-
SHIFTS