The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-07
ANCIENT INCUBATORS
ARE USED IN EGYPT
Egg Matching Industry in Val
ley Of Nile Is Enormous One
Ninety Million a Year.

For upward OF 5000 years eggs hay.
been Matched artifcially In Egypt. In
China and in other Asiat,c countries
says the London Chronicle. In Egyp,
The Industry Is an enormous one, and /;
Is estimated that at the present time
In Lower Egypt there are several hun
dreds OF these Matching establishments
and that In many cases they have n
capacity for 10000 eggs at one time.
A few years ago tho American Consul
General In Egypt estimated that upward
or 100000 chickens were Matched an.
nually In the egg ovens Of that country
There IN usually considerable d fficult
IN persuading an owner OF g "mamal e.
firakh" TO show a foreigner. or even ar
Egyptian. over one OF these primitlv
incubators. though they are quite numer.
Gus and are found throughout the Nile
Valley from Alexandria TO Assouan. The
secret or their structure and manaGemeh
Is carefully guarded. The Matching Of
chickens by this method Is entirely In
the hands Of the Copts. who make quit
a mystery OF the whole process. Til,
"ovC ms" are worked only from Februar,
10 May each year.
The one visited consisted Of four hatch.
Ing chambers, each Of these chamb,r r.
| abou, four by four yards being capabl;
Of holding up TO 5000 eggs at tim
and accommodating each season apou,
100000 eggs. When the eggs are firs
put In the Matching chamber they ar
often piled up four or Ave deep bu,
are afierward spread out In q singl,
layer. This Is done never later thar
the tenth day. The sgeJ are turned
three times daily. on the fourth o.
nth day they are tested. and all the
lnfertile on 8 are taken out and sold for
human consumption The testing 10 done
IN the upper chamber, which 10 dark each
'gg being held up In a ray OF sunlight.
which comes through q hole In tn dom
-oof made for this purpose. Usually
prove fertile. It Is said that few which.
Irt left IN after this hrst testing TAI
10 hatch.
The chickens are Matched between the
sixteenth and twen'y-third days. and II
Is usual TO attempt to rssulsts the tenn
pers ure ~ that the cNioks msy hat
out on the twenty-hrst day. tn. tam
oeraturs II often regulated by manipulat-
ing the n"es. often the fire 10 Above
% 80 out for few hours twice each
'av. and bv regulating the ventilation
Testing Is by the hand and by placing
he eEys on the eyslid. 4 Thermometer
seemed 10 be quite unknown snd sprar-
emily unnscessary. No artincial moist
ure 10 provided. no pans Of water were
FOUND In either the upper or lower cham
Der, nor are tho eggs ever Sprinkled with
water. .''
The owner Of the ers oven buys ssrs 1t
froms six to ten for one plastic Zone
piastre 10 about 2Hd.) and sells the chicks
at from three to i've for Q plastic. An
other arrangement u sometines made. A
farmer brings ergs. and the owner Of the
Eggs oven" gives him forty-hve to nifty
chickens for every hundred egss ~,
Immediately the chickens hatch they
are taken out from the Matching chsn,-
Der and placed In q cooler. well ventilated
place TO dry. and are never FED until the
third or fourth day after hstehins. They
are said 10 travel best whsin despatched
20 purchasers on the third day after
hatchinx and are never fad hsfore being
despatched "