Belding banner., 1914-05-13

delivery and "a hatchable egg. In the
majority of cases. provided the express
company has handled the package in
proper manner, the beginner is at
fault. Incubators have improved won
derfully of late, but none is self-regu-
lating. All must be operated i'm safe
and sane manner, according To the dir
ections of the maker OF the machine
All are not to be run or regulated i'm
just the same manner. Most import
ant is the judgment of the operator.
Eggs To hatch their best should be
as nearly as possible of the same age,
and kept in a cool place before placing
in the machine. Chilling or too much
heat, while not killing the germ, are
harmful; the best OF results cannot
be obtained IL the eggs are not kept i'm
a proper manner before placing them
in the incubator. 1t is hardly To be ex-
pected that the beginner I'm his first
attempt, or even through the first
Matching season, can expect to operate
even the best of the high-gra incu-
bators as skillfuily as the breeder OF
several years experience. The claim
that any 6-year old child can operate
a machine is rather far-fetched, for
there are other things to be considered
besides the mere filling of the lamp,
trimming the wick. keeping a steady
flame, and seeing that the degree OF
heat is at 1913 during the twenty-one
days that must elapse before the
chicks are ready for the brooder. All
incubators are made and tested in di-
fferent parts Of the country, and the
majority when properly run are sue
cessfui hatchers in any climate and
under different conditions. The fact
remains, however, that the incubator
run on the coast, where plenty of
moisture is present at almost all per-
iods Of the hatch, must be run differ
emily than the one high above the sea
level, where the air is dry and mois-
ture not so plentiful. The moisture
question is one that has yet To be sol
we'd, and one that the experienced OPP
orator knows fun well is Of much inn
portance.
At times any incubator when con-
ditions are right will produce a good
hatch, but the operators of incubators
of several years know full we'll that
conditions. such AS location, supply Of
the right amount of moisture at the
proper time, plays an important part
There are moisture machines and non
moisture machines and both have pro-
duced results. Nevertheless. eXper-
fenced operators Of the new moisture
machines supply moisture when need
ed, especially during the early spring.
1t can he supplied by sprinkling
- p1ari1nrr n
sand tray under or over the eggs, ac-
cording TO the make OF the machine.
That fact that the operators Of the big
hot water machines, which are not
supplied by sand trays spray the floor
under the machines during most or all
of the hatch, and these operators of
big machines are, as a rule experts in
their line. Experience is the only
teacher. The beginner often runs the
incubator from 101 TO 1O5, and at
times for only a short period ii may
go to 10 degrees. Too much cooling
too little cooling, too much mois-
ture, too little moisture. are some of
the things the purchased Matching
eggs are subjected to, and it is no won
der that while the operator may or
a great many cases the chicks hatched
are not as they should be, and the
breeder from whom the eggs are
bought is blamed. Seldom Will the
operator place the blame on his
and in many cases mistakes
were made that the operator himself
was not aware. The experienced
operator would know in moment that
a fault had been made.
When the incubator is properly run,
the chicks Matched. if from good stock,
will be every bit as good and stronger
than those hatched under the hen, but
and faulty incubation will not produce
strong chicks. There is yet Gin spite
Of the wonderful Improvement in in
and the greater knowledge
OF how TO operate them for best re-
eults-a lot to learn. In fact, the pro-
blem OF correct incubation is far from
being solved. Yet the results have
been so good within the past few years
that il pays to install machine rather
than fuss with hens, especially where
the early chick is To be obtained. Any
beginner can soon gain the necessary
experience that will enable him 20
hatch. and hatch the liyable kind f.
The kind that will grow and prove
profitable: but i'm the meantime when
passing through the experimental
stage Of artificial incubation, do not be
too hasty and lay the blame on the
Matching eggs