The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-07
INCUBATOR USEFUL
AS MONEY SAVER
II Is More Economical Than
the Hen and Is Not Hard
to Manage.
CARE IS NECESSARY
n, ROBERT ARMsTRO on q.

We cannot Improve on Mistress Blu-
dy's virtues as a means OF Matching a
brood Of chicks. for she has been making
a speciality Of the art for hundreds Of
years; but we ran almost equal her ef-
forts. and certain II In hat We can do
Il more economically than she can. We
have found out her secrets. and to these
We have added our mechanical genius.
with the result that instead Of Matching
fifteen eggs At one operation. we can now
hatch $4,000 Eggs At one time. and even
greater numbers-there Is practically no
limit "a the process. There are hatch
cries In the country that have a capacity
~ from 5000 to 10000 eeGs A. every
Matching. The figures are astounding. ,
are they not Such a thing would have
been considered 4 preposterous faIsehood
IN our fathers boyhood DAYS.
The whole principle ~ artificial incu-
baton IL based upon tho very simple
fact that " n strong fertile egg is main
tanned under certain Uniform conditions
~ heat. moisture and fresh air for a
sufficient period Of time. II viii no trans
formed into a strong. healthy YOUNG
bird. The process may no, hatch quite
as many EGGS. proportionately. a. the
hen viii develop. hut this Ia not due 20
any defect IN the machine necessarily.
rather because In handling such large
numbers Of EGGS It IL impossible 70 give
each me the same attention that tho
hen would he free to give II. Ponder
for = moment. how ever. and th,nk az
the time saved on the part Of the at,en-
dant who would have to feed enough
sitting hens Ia hatch-say 1000 eggs.
which is not n grea, number on farsls
devoted to poultry raising. and then
consider What an enormous loss in egg
production there would he while these
hens are idl,ng their time on the nest.
instead ~ being "on the job" In the Law
ing houses.
Eight hundred hens would be required
to hatch $4,000 rigs. and from the time
they become broody until they have
Matched. reared and weaned their broods
and then ~relnvigora,ed themselves for
further egg production from eight TO
NWetNc WcehS TuuSi eidDNS. puI.ik inns
time they would probably lay four dozen
Eggs each. which at AZ average price Of
IS cents a dozen would mean q loss Of
$500 to their owner.
Briefly. IL IL poor economy TO hatch
with hens. except In rare cases. "a the
above figures will prove. The exceptions
10 the rule are when farmers raise but
few chickens each season. as a sort OF
b~y-product, n feel tina they cannot
Aaynfa a nars ~ ZACH lay "a thA rara
OF an tor. But az a matter OF
fact the care OF an incubator of small
capacity is almost negligible. and could
easily be done by the farmers wife in a
half hours work each day. Incubators
have reached such a state OF perfection
these days that they are almost auto
matte and foolproof In their operation.
u IL a fallacy 20 believe. as some
think. that hen Matched chicks are
stronger than incubator chicks. and will
therefore be more productive. There Ia
no difference. providing the eggs used
IN the incubator are fresh and Of known
reliability, and the machine IL operated
in accordance with the manufacturer
directions. which are usually based on
natural. commop sense laws
Poultry men who raise chickens on a
large scale must use incubators. because
In the first place they cannot rely on the
hens desire 10 sit early enough to hatch
4 pull.is that will mature as fan layers.
And It Is the autumn egg that II the
golden egg" OF which the poultry raiser
must reap a fair harvest. II he would
have his ledger balance properly with
his feed accouut
Here is another poIn. worthy OF ron
sheraton. even b. those VINO prefer to
DO their hatching In the natural va,
Frequently a sitting hen WI become sick
and die. or without ANY apparent excuse
she Will forsake her nest perhaps she
never really had any serious intention of
hatch!ng a brood. and Was merely enjoy
ing her rest period between clutches nt
eggs IN "A spell OF qui-, contemplation
unless another hen can I've found iWm.-
dist-ly 80 take her place. and his :
often u difficult task, the eggs VII chill.
and spoil. Had Their. been a small iEcu-
natut on the premises THIS contingency
, could nave been met the eggs could nave
, been removed from the abandoned nest
and placed In the warm incubator an
Matched or kept there until another hen
was found to take over the contract.
ManV valuable Matching cggs NAV 10.
saved in this way. the comfort of Which
alone is well worth the price OF a small
Incubator TO any farmer or his " re
There need he no feeling Of grave AZ.
prehenslon or helpless dependence upu.
an irresponsible hiddy VINO for som.
perNerse reason violates the confidence
reposed in her maternal inclinatlous,
To the novice or inexperienced Their.
sometimes exists a belief that the incu
hator is an intricate apparatus. reduirins
special and considerable practice bcfor'
one dare hope for successful results
These fears are well founded In a sense
when we consider how really marvelluu!
II is that such q perfectly formed. hlghl,
developed organism car he brought mi,
being In such a short space Of time. ",
have Nature to thank for this. however
I and can rely upon her TO perform III,
work all we have To do is to provide mi
necessary conditions, the laboratory. 81
to speak. In which she is 10 work..
There are 40 many different make
Of i~ncubators on the market. from tn
small Nifty egg size to the huge man
moths OF many thousand egg capacity
involving various principles for radiat
ing heat, supplying or retaining mois
. ture. ventilation. and 30 on. that II I
difficult 10 set forth a definite set a
: rules for their operation that will appl
> in all cases. Yet there are Eenera
conditions-the basic principles-to h
, observed which with few modification
.. apply to any make OF machine,
. When the incubator IN received
! should he assembled In strict accordanc
Z with the instructions that always accom-
many II. and set UP preferably In a cieai
y, well ventilated cellar. 4 cellar IL IN
/ hest Mace because helng partly hplo'
). ground at least the temperature is NOR