New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-08
THE MODERN INCUBATOR
1t Is Gradually CrO5cding american
Hens out of Business.

q
chicks than old Biddy. their natural mother. Tho
hen is being succeeded by the incubator, Just as
the needle was followed by the sewing machine
or the hand cradle by the reaper. Ninety per cent
OF the professional poultrymen use the incubator
e%elasiV ely. for the reason that with it they can
hatch chickens out Of season. This means to them
just What it does TO the florist be able 20 pro-
once the tender flowers of summer in the dead OF
winter The old hen goes hand and glove with
nature and as consequence her season as sitter
Is short The incubator goes it alone and keeps up
the pace the year through
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 practised
continuously in Egypt. China and other Oriental
countries down to the present day. For many
years past chickens been Matched artihcially
IN European countries. notably in France, Eng
iahd' Belgium and Denmark. but it has remained
FOR Yankee genius TO modernize and perfect the
present popular sized incubator and brooder and
10 devise ways and means of Matching and raising
chicks in large numbers by its use the city lot
the village acre and the ordinary farm.
The first incubator made its appearance In this
country in 1916. A Yankee put one on exhibition
IN Broadway. New York He charged a shilling
to see the wonder and out of curiosity it wei!
patronized, but his machine was considered fake
Men would believe that an egg could be
Matched anywhere except under hen, the
snowman began demonstrating to prove the virtue
oil his invention. He would break eggs from the
machine to show the different stages of incuba-
ton and finally succeeded in convincing a good
many that it not a fraud. Time has proved
that it was far from being humbug.
1t has taken years of experiment and study and
the expenditure Of much money to develop the sci
ence of artificial incubation into the successful
practice 1t is to-day Its promoters had closely TO
observe and follow the natural laws Of incubation
They found that nature assisted a setting hen by
rushing the blood TO that portion the body which
comes In contact with the eggs: that during certain
stages of incubation the shifted their position
under the hen; that times she would leave her
nest unprotected, the number of these absences
varying with the individual 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 discoveries gave them
plenty to contend with in making 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 unique. Their
mometers were placed under setting hens IN all
manner of positions TO establish the varying de-
grees OF heat during the different stages of ncuba
ton. Some Of the fowls were killed, and delicate
thermometers thrust instantly into their hearts
and other vital organs 10 determine the tempcra-
OF the inside OF their bodies well as Of the
outside. By such bold methods the secrets OF the
business have been wrested from nature. All the
problems oc heat moisture and ventilation have
been solved. 1t takes twenty-one days to hatch a
chick and the incubator authorities 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 fowls.
1t takes a humming bird only twelve days to come
through. canary eighteen, ii duck twenty-eight. a
turkey thirty, and a forty. one authority
reports that he found some snake eggs IN pile
Of compost and put them into "A machine. When
he went to look again the bottom or the box was a
squirting OF little spotted adders The eggs Of
the quail the pheasant and all kinds of game birds
fTF Ii4A for
present time Ostrich eggs are also being Matched
successfully in Florida. Arizona and California.
Ostrich farming has been practsed in this coun-
try since 1882 and IS getting 10 be very profitable
business. single feathers being worth from 81 10 81
as taken from the bird The will realize
about 800 a from each bird. II IS said the
average age Of the ostrich is eighty years ard that
the value OF matIred birds averages about $500.
The incubator has made ostrich farming in this
country a success when IT would otherwise have
been impossible. for the reason that tho habit Of
this strange fowl is TO sit upon its eggs AZ night
and turn them 10 the SUMS rays during the
day. This works all right in the warmer countries
Of which the ostrich is a native but our is not
enough to hatch the eggs.
Incubators are also successfully used In the care
Of babies prematurcly born. special kind IS made
with a crib. automatically ventilated resting over
hot water tank The temperature Of the interior
be kept absolutely even. which is of the
conditions under which child life is maintained.
country is supplied with a baby incubator.
The largest incubator built In America was
on duck ranch at SroudsbUrg. Penn IT was
built twenty-five feet square with an egg testing
ten by twelve feet in size. adjoining. II cost
$4,000 and held 900 eggs at time. The yearly
capacity Of this monster Matching machine
$40 900 eggs.
with the aid of the incubator the professional
poultry raiser enters into large contracts without
fear Of failure. poutryman in ohio has an
agreement 10 furnish Cleveland commission firm
with three hundred young chickens every day. II
is understood that these young broers are 70
weigh a pound and half. and he gets 50 a dozen
for them. The way he manages to keep up with
this big undertaking is well worth relating lie
has 40 devoted To the Of his poultry
plant The main building is $50 feet long and
there is a OF pens $50 feet in length. He uses
thirty improved incubatoTs with individual ca
paclty OF 800 eggs each. These machines not
all filled at the time. but proportional that
some Of them will be discharging fresh chicks each
day.
A large flock Of Barred Plymouth Rock biddies
are kept constantly on duty laying eggs with which
to stock these Matching machines. and $50 eggs are
placed in them each day. including Sunday. In
connection with the incubators there IS row OF
pens numbered from ] to 80 Each day the little
chicks from the machines are turned into the
first pen. They advanced pen each day.
and when the last is reached they are ninety
days Old and ready for the market They are
herded from the incubators through all of the
pens and finally into the coops without being
touched. They are not handled until the cook
wrings their necks and dresses them for the frying
pan.
A certain proportion OF the eggs do not hatch,
and all Of them that Matched do mot live
TO make the trip through the ninety pens, but the
percentage of loss is comparatively small The
breeder finds that the $50 eggs which go into the
fy,c ia, net