The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-08
Development of the Incubator
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIM
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIM.

BY FPEDERf
The Incubator is gradually crowding the
American hen out of the business Of sit
ting on her own eggs. This wonderful
machine has been perfected until it can
do a better job of Matching the little
chicks than old blddy. their natural
mother. The hen Is being succeeded by
the incubator, just as the needle was fol-
lowed by the sewing machine. or the
hand cradle by the reaper. Ninety per
cent OF the professional poultrymen use
the incubator exclusively, for the reason
that with it they can hatch chickens out
of season. This means 10 them just what
IL does TO the florist to be able 20 produce
the tender flowers Of summer in The dead
of winter The old hen goes hand and
glove with nature, and as a consequence
her season as a sitter Is short The in
cubatOr goes it alone and keeps up the
pace the year though.
Matching chickens by artificial means
is almost as old as history. The art was
known before the dawn of the Christian
era. and has been practiced continuously
in Egypt, China, and other Oriental eoun-
tries down TO the present day. For many
years past chickens have been Matched
artifclally in European countries. notably
in France. England. Belgium, and Den
mark. but il has remained for Yankee
genius 10 m0dernize and perfect the pres
ent pOpulaT-sized incubator and brOoder,
and 10 devise ways and means Of Matching
and raising chicks in large numbers by
its use on the city lots, the village acre,
and the ordinary farm.
The-first incubator made its appearance
in this country in 1916. a Yankee put one
on exhibition on Broadway New York
He charged a shilling TO see the wonder,
and out of curiosity it was well patronized
but his machine was considered fake.
Men would not believe than an egg could
be Matched anywhere except under a hen,
50 the Snowman began demonstrating TO
prove the virtue of his invention. He
would break eggs from the machine 10
show the different stages of incubation,
and finally succeeded In convincing a
good many that IL was not fraud Time
has proved that it was FAR from being
humbug.
It has taken years Of experiment and
study. and the expenditure OF much
money, TO develop the science OF arti-
fetal incubation into the successful prac-
tice it is to-day. It's promoters had 10
closely observe and follow the natural
laws of incubation. They found that
nature assisted sitting hen by rushing
"a 20 hot of Hfsr4
which comes I'm contact with the eggs:
that during certain stages Of incubation
the eggs shifted their position under the
hen; that at times she would leave her
nest unprotected. the number of these abb
sences varying with the individual fowl
and the condition of the weather; that at
times the hen would rise IN her nest
and shake her feathers out, evidently for
the purpose of cooling her body and the
eggs and they also found that the eggs
would sweat These and many other dis
coVeries gave them plenty to contend with
in making a little box of wood and glass
that would perfectly perform the natural
functions Of the mother hen.
The matter of temperature gave much
trouble and some Of the experiments
were unique. Thermometers were placed
sitions 10 establish the varying degrees
of heat during the different stages of
incubation. Some of the fowls were
killed and delicate thermometers thrust
instantly into their hearts and other vital
organs, 10 determine the temperature of
the inside of their bodies as well as the
outside. BY such bold methods the
secrets OF the business have been wrested
from nature. All the problems of heat. |
moisture, and ventilation have been
solved. 1t takes twenty-one days TO hatch
"a chick. and the incubator authorities
can tell you each days progress in the
formation and life Of the little fowl before
It comes out of its shell.
The incubators will hatch any kind of
eggs. but the length of time varies in
different birds or fowls 1t takes a hum
ming bird only twelve days to come
through. a canary eighteen, duck TWEEN
ty-elght. a turkey thirty. and a swan
forty One authority reports that he
found some snake eggs in pile of COM
post. and put them into machine. When
he went to look again the bottom of the
box was a squirting mass of little spot
ted adders. The eggs of quail. pheasant.
and all kinds Of game birds develop
readily in the improved incubator OF the
present time. Ostrich eggs are also being
Matched successfully in Florida, Arizona, |
and California,
Ostrich farming has been practlced in
this country since 1882, and is getting to
be a very profitable business. single
feathers being worth from 81 to & as
taken from the bird. The owner will
realize about 500 a season from each
bird. 1t is said the average age Of the /
ostrich is eighty years, and that the
value OF matured birds averages about
800. The incubator has made ostrich
farming in this country a success when |
it would otherwise have been impossible. |
for the reason that the habit Of this
strange fowl Is to SIT upon its eggs az
night. and turn them over to the suns
rays during the day. This works all right
IN the warmer countries Of which the
ostrich is a native, but our sun is not |
warm enough 10 hatch the eggs.
IncubatoTs are also successfully used IN |
the care OF babies prematurely born. a |
special kind is made with crib auto
maticalIy ventilated resting over a hot
water tank The temperature Of the In
terror can be kept absolutely even. which
Is one OF the conditions under which child |
life is maintained. Nearly every we'll !
equipped child hospital in the country IS !
now supplied with a baby incubator.
The largest incubator ever built in
America was or a duck ranch at Strouds-
burg. Pa. It was built twenty-five feet