Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-03-16
POINTS ABOUT INCUBATION.
Some Of Essential Factors Involved
Causes of Poor Haltehss.


Leslie E. Card OF the poultry depart
| ment at the Connecticut Agricultural
College says:
The best eggs will not give good |
| strong, healthy chicks unless properly /
| incubated. and before the seasons |
| Matching has begun 1t Is important |
| that we consider some OF the essential |
/ factors involved in the successful OPP
Grafton of incubators.
First select an incubator Of some
| standard make. Not all OF the ma
| chimes on the market will give the
| best results under all conditions. IL
/ is to the purchasers advantage to Sc
| lect one that is adapted to his par
| ticular needs. There is no certain way
| of determining suitability except by
/ trial. Most manufacturers are will
/ ing to sell their machines on trial and
the purchaser can often well afford to
| take advantage of these Offers.
The incubator selected should have
| accurate and elastic heating and reg
| ulating systems, making II easy to
maintain exact adjustments under
| wide range OF atmospheric and cli-
fatic conditions. 1t should also be
well insulated and OF durable con-
struction and should be as low in
cost per egg capacity as is consistent
| with good quality and workmanship.
Having selected n sood incubator,
the next question IS where to locate
and operate II. A high grade ma
chine will give fairly good results I'M
der unfavorable conditions. but II does
not follow that it pays to operate
| under such conditions Tor. the better
the conditions the better will be the
results obtained. Perhaps the ideal
location is a well-venilated room
without artificial heat. in which the
temperature ranges between 40 de-
grees snd co degrees F. and in which
the relative humidity does not go be-
low so and averages about 10 per
cent.
An incubator that has been used.
either during the same or the previous
season, should be thoroughly washed
| anddisinfected. 4 per cent. solu-
ton Of crude carbolic acid or OF any
! Of the common coal-tar disinfeCfants
' will be found satisfactory for THE
purpose. II the proper temperature
has been reached in the ogg chamber.
it is not necessary that the machine be
completely dried out before putting In
the eggs
, ct rhe incubator perfectly level and
! ou- - reach OF any possible draft. II
tIe machine Is not level the highest
; points may become too hot. The In
cubatJr SHOULD be placed where IL can
! no. nc reaCEed by direct sunlight at
machine a few davs and see that tho
: Temperature is perfectly regulated be-
: fIra Iut:tng In the eggs
ri,> lar; should not he 6llCi SOC
X
thu outside o; the bowl and uD OH the
burner thus causing fufes and Prob
ably sUot and a smoking heater. Keep
the bUInrT absolutely clean or q [
q best lamp made WILL smoke and be-
= | = Jyae dangerous.
= lowing the lamp and heater 20 warm
4 up gradually. Adjust the regulator
). and flame so that 4 temperature of
= 1O2 degrees F viii be maintained. the
I - n
| level with the top Of the eggs. and the
damper disc just slightly raised (about
n quarter Of an inchl above the heat
er. Adjust small variations in temper
= allure by means OF the thumb nut on
Y the regulator.
The majority Of evidence seems tc
I indicate that the best temperature Is
"a 10z degrees T. thereafter. AS incu-
d baton progresses and more ANNA,
heat develops within the embryos Il
will be found that a smaller flame vii
: be necessary to keep the heat up tC
the desired point. At Matching time
after the egs have begun to pip, the
. temperature will probably rise to lO4
degrees or los degrees but this should
> not be the cause Of any alarm i
n should not, however. beallowed to 81
"a above 105 degrees +. In case the tenn
II perature goes up above los degrees F
m the incubator should be opened anC
q the egS Immediately removed anC
n placed on a table or top Of the incuba
tor to cool Care should be taken L
prevent all drafts or any means o
= SUDDEN chilling.
Turn the eggs twice or three time,
J; daily. beinning on the second day ant
:, continuing up to the time they begiI
y to pip. The trays should be turned
n end for end each time they are takel
20 out in order to equalize any differ
~ ences In temperature but may exist II
TS different parts of the machine.
a Eggs are usually tested two o
=, three times during the incubation
period. The first test should be mad
A. move infertile eggs, blood rings an,
"a dead germs. AS the germ, is NOR
~ readily seen in white shelled eggs. the,
"a may be tested as early as the fourtl
y. of fifth day. The second test shout
p be made at the end of fourteen day
+, and if the first test was properly made
> will consist only in taking out dea
70 germs. Occasionally eggs are agai
~ tested on the eighteenth day to remov
,a any embryos that have died during tn
- last week.
= Always darken the incubator as 500
-, as the chicks begin to hatch. Thi
v will keep them more quiet and wi
prevent the spread of disease throug
their picking up infected dropping:
l. Keep the chicks up on the tray unit
a fifteen or twenty Of them are thor
is oughly dry. Do not open the door o
al the incubator during the hatch unles
Ut absolutely necessary. as II VIII allON
e. moisture to escape and may chill som
n of the wet chicks. Remove the ira
lie and egg shells as soon as the hatch
over and most of the chicks are dry
On Then leave the door open from a
On eighth of an inch allowing fresh air I
Of enter and thus gradually acustom tn
ar chicks to a lower temperature. Thi
be is referred TO as hardening the chick
n The chicks should be left in the in
he cubator at least thirty-six hours o
be until they show by their voice and &C
w tion that they are really hungry. The
tie should then be removed to the broode
c. using extreme care to keep them VIC
g. protected from cold or draft durin
d. the transfer. II they are chilled 8
DIS this time bowel trouble is almost cer
tain to result.
Some causes Of poor matches are
ID Variation in temperature; over
heating or chilling.
NJ. I'd Excess OF moisture. producin
an abnormally large and weak chick.
iss (3) Lack of moisture at hatchin
time, drying the membranes so this
the chick sticks fast and can not 81