The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-03
HATCH CHICKENS
NOW If WINTER
EGGS ARE SOUGHT
Specialists of U. S. Agricul-
tural Department Say
Profit is Found in Early
Incubation.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 3.-The
poultry raiser on farm or in city who
wishes to produce fall and winter eggs
with a by-product of spring "friers''
should begin now to plan for the ear
ly setting of eggs, say poultry special
lists Of the u. S. Department of Agri-
culture. In the States of the extreme
South, settings should be made from
the first to the middle of February
in the central group of States, from
the early part to the last of February;
and in the northern tier of States
from the latter part. Of February to
the early part of April With settings
timed on this schedule the chicks will
hatch In ample time to allow their ma
turtty before COLD weather. The pull
let's from these broods should lay
during the late fall or early winter
when eggs rae scarcest.
The setting schedule outlined also
will permit the development Of early
spring ,'.friers.", The young chicks
will be developed to the point where
they may be turned out on the ground
by the time vegetation is out, and sc
may augment their feed with green
stuff. The smaller breeds Of chick
ems can be Matched later than those
which are larger and slower to de-
ve1op.
Incubation.
One difficulty in setting EGGS in
spring at selected dates il the natural
system Of Incubation is followed is in
finding broody hens at the proper
times. If natural incubation is de-
pended upon exclusively it probably
will be best for the poultry raiser to
disregard dates and make settings
whenever broody hens are available. A
good nest for setting is made Of wood,
is inches square and about 15 inches
high, with top. The front is open
except for board 6 inches high.
Three or four inches Of damp earth
should be placed in such nest and
on this straw, hay. or chaff should
be firmly packed. ! The hens should
be busted thoroughly with insect pow
der It Is a good plan, also, to
sprinkle a little Of the powder in the
nests.
The suggested schedule can be fol-
lowed exactly II an incubator is used.
The naAchine should be operated in a
war m room, preferably afcellar, as a
protection against outside tempera-
ture changes It should be disin-
fected thoroughly before being used,
with a solution of a reliable coal-tar
Bdisinfectant. Instead of using such a
solution a small receptacle contain
ing 6ne-half ounce Of permanganate
OF potash on which one half ounce Of
formaIin has been poured may be shut
up in the incubator. The resulting
gas will thoroughly disinfect the ma
chine. After distnfection the ,incu-
bator should be run empty for sever
al days to get it into good operating
condition. After the eggs are in place
the temperature should be held at
from 101 Il degrees to 102 degrees F..
the FIRST week, 1O2 degrees to 1913 de-
grees the second week. and at 1O3
degrees the third week.
The eggs usually are turned for the
first time at the end Of the second
day and twice daily through the
eighteenth or nineteenth day. The
eggs are cooled outside the Matching
chamber once daily after the seventh
and up to the nineteenth day. aMois-
tur should be furnished in artificial
Incubation in the south, in high alti-
tudes, and when the incubator room is
dry This may be done by sprink-
ling the eggs with warm water or by
placing wet sponge or pan of water
under the egg tray.
During the Matching period care
fully fill the lamp and trim the wick
each day. 1t Is best to trim the wick
by scraping off the burnt portion rath-
er than by cutting the wick. The
lamp should not be filed entirely At
ter the lamp is filled it should be close
~ observed for time to make sure
that the flame does not get too high.