The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-27
A GOOD INCUBATOR
MUST ACT LIKE HEN
Natures Conditions Have to
Be Reproduced as Nearly
as Possible.
GREAT CARE Is NEEDED
- PROF. J. n. NORMAN.

Tho natural process Of Matching re-
Qulrao vital heat. moisture and air. The
nsrmal temperature Of a sitting hen is
bseWssn ios and i0i degrees. while she
- SestinG q certain amount Of bodily
neeUeurs comes in contact with the egg
Az oeFculates about the eggs through the
foaShess. These are the conditions Of
natural Incubation. They must he ap-
proacAed closely in artificial incubation
70 Cst good results.
Many experiment stations have reg
>ulaf Incubator cellars for artificial
Matching. In such "A place IL II easier 10
keep an even temperature In the in
cubator and TO retain the moisture bet
,tes. However. an incubator cellar is not
always possible on farms or poultry
plants. In hat case a clean. light cellar
Of ths ordinary dwelling house will serve
the purpose. In important thing is to
80 that the place is well ventilated.
Even n an ordinary cellar is not avail
able. then a room above ground may be
49, - ctiVbib w 'hN'i
that the incubator does not stand in a
draught. That would be fatal to sue
cess. as the heat In the egg chamber
could not be kept uniform under such n
condition. Sincesheat takes the place Of
vital energy in artificial Matching. II liz
important hat the temperature sur
rounding the incubator be kept as uni
form as possible.
But the best kind az incubator put IN
the best place will not bring success in
Matching unless the eggs used are fer
tile and the germ IL strong. Poor results
are often charged gains the incubator
when the eggs are entirely AT fault. Good
esSs can only be produced from strong
and vigorous stock. The first principle
IN scientific breeding is that only Wig
orous stock produce Eggs with strong
germs. From the standpoint, Of hiolog,
there is no doubt about tha fact and
there IL no getting around ii in artificial
or natural incubation. Half the means
OF success exist In the eegs before the
Incubator is started at all. II these con-
ditions are fulfilled. the matter Of run.
ninS an incubator to get satisfactory re-
eults In strong chicks and lots OF them
10 not difficult.
The mother hen is an organism with
vial powers. When she sits ON eggs the
heat Of the body throws off moistur,
which is charged with carbon dioxiode
An incubator by itself cannot do this
In the natural process Of ~hatcning the
functions performed are largely biologi.
cal n physiological with artificial In.
cuoation the process is largely physical
The vital and chemlca effects ar. being
etudied with sitting hens in order tc
learn the best methods OF running al
oSoooator. From practi al experience IL
b handling Of sitting hens the sci,ntif,
10ukIS-man Is learning more about arti
0c3nd Incubation every s.ason. The tim.
70 IVY moisture and air to the eggs /,
nov known TO have an important cfec
On h results of the hatch. While oXy,
gen IL needed abundan;ly during III,
later stages OF artificial hat ,i.ng. IN.
value OF carbon d!oxide must also not b'
overlooked during the whole period
In an incubator the heat Of cUnbus
WI - iiI'AFkule III u4pA
.Sde- As In the case with sitting mems
boch Of these factors are valuable ant
necessary In artiftaial incubation. WheI
this gas comes In contac, with moistur,
II forms carbonic acid. The effect %
carbonic acid is 10 d~islGteSrate tn.
~ shen. When that takes place a
under natural conditions the chick cal
6feak through the shell more readily
When chicks fully formed are found dea,
In the shell 1t may be safely conclude,
ehsv have died from exhaustion. The,
w1ro unable to break the shell bscaus,
It had not been sufficiently disintegrated
The value OF moisture me gas and al
Tor successful incubation is now quit
generally recognized
These are the conditions which tn
poUltryman who uses an in ubator mus
strive to initiate closely. II they ar
followed carefully and II the eggs use'
are laid by vigorous stock. the results o
artificial incubation may compare favor
ably with those from natural hatchinj
in the number of chicks Matched n 4
their vitality. These are the result
which we are striving To attain.
No poultry keeper uns AN in"uhato
for fun. When the value Of the egg
and the pouliryman's time ar" consid
cred. Il IL n matter OF dollars and cent
wn0ther an incubator ~ run rIent %
wrong. The conditions always 10 b
borne in mind are heat. moistur. an
air. Thu proper control of these factor
will spell success in any kind Of vel
made incubator. The aim of the oper
ator IL 10 learn how these factors ma,
be best controlled.
TIT first thing IL TO run the incubato
for twenty-four hours TO see that IN
heat regulator Is all right. II no troubl
arises from this source. the te,nperatur
in the incubator should he raised TO 10
or l02 u degrees before the cggs are pu
IN. The incubator should be ruu at thi
temperature for a week. then for IN
second week at I03 degrees. II is al
ways advisable TO follow the instruo
tons which should accompany every in
cubator sold until the principles ar
learned by practice, These rules ar
usually the result Of experience by me
who have devoted much time to thi