The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-05-01
INCUBATOR CHICKS RUNNING OUT IN SPRING.

INCUBATOR CHICKS r
'(Preparod by the. United States Depart,
men; OF Agrlculture)
February, March and April are the
best months to hatch chickens, de-
pending somewhat upon the individual
as we'll as the climatic conditions. Set
up the incubator according to tho
manufacturers directions, and Sec
that The machine is perfectly level
: II q spirit level is not available, q
long shallow pan Of wnter set on top
of tho incubator ran be used us Il level
to assist in setting up the machine. BE
Eure that Ill parts Of the incubator nre
IN their proper positions and that the
regulator works freely. Do not plane
Off tho door of the incubator, If II
sticks, until the machine has been
heated up and thoroughly dried. Run
the machine at about 1O2 degrees
Fahrenheit for q day before putting
in the eggs. 1t takes several hours for
tho machine to come back to its cor
rect temperature nfter the eggs are
first put in; therefore the regulator
should not be touched during that
timo See to the regulation Of the
temperature of tho incubator before
Nopenlng the door Of the machine to at
tend to the eggs. Look to the care
Of the incubator carefully and regular
ly, but do not change the regulator
any more than is absolutely neces-
sary.
When the bulb, of the thermometer
rests directly on the eggs the tenn
perature is usually held at 1O1h to
102 degrees Fahrenheit the first week,
102 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit the sec
ond week, and 103 degrees Fahren-
heit the third week; while q hanging
thermometer is operated at about 102
to 102A degrees Fahrenheit the first
two weeks and 103 degrees Fahren-
helt the last week. At Matching time
the machine will frequently run up to
104 or 10Ydegrees Fahrenheit with.
out any injury to the chickens. If the
temperature has been right up to the
Matching time, 1t Is usually better not
to change the regulator at that time,
provided the temperature does not run
Above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While
the eggs will hatch just MS well If the
temperature is run slightly higher than
noted above, throughout the hatch, the
chickens are apt to be weak and hard
to raise. In good hatch the eggs will
start to pip on the evening of the nine
teenth day, and most of the chickens
VIII be out of the shell on the morning
Of the twenty-frst day. If the hatch
Is much earlier or later than this 1t In
tIcntes that the conditions during incu-
baton have not been right. A high
temperature may hatch eggs too quick
ly and produce weak chickens. while
continuous low temperature through
out the hatch Will delay II for several
hours.
Use good oil. Glenn and I'LL the
lamp once daily, trimming the wick
by scrapinE the chnrred portion OF
with Il knife or squGre-edged nail, or
By cutting the wick with srlssors.
Care Of Machine at Matching Time.
After ne eggs ncSIn to hatch, leave
The machine alone until the hatch Ia
Eell over. % not opeE the door to see
how the eggs are aatching, us II allows
the moisture 10 escape. which is very
Essential at this time. Keep the incu'
bator dark at Matching time by cover
Ing the glass In the door with q cloth
or burlap sack, so that the chicks will
not be attracted to the front Of the,
machine by the light and become rest
less. When the chicks are all Matched,
remove the egg tray and open the ven
hlntors, according to the manufOctur-
er's directions, and keep them in the
Incubator from "a to SO hours after
the hatch is over before removing
them to the brooders. If they are to
DO shipped n long distance away, so
that they will be on the road two or
three days, 1t is better to ship them as
Boon as the hatch Is over and the
chicks IRE thoroughly dry. Chicks
which pip, but are unable to get out
of the shell by their own efforts, rare
" amount to much II helped out; al
though, If desired, when most of the
eggs are Matched and the chicks dried
OF so that they will not be injured by
opening the incubator door, any which
have plpped may be helped out by
cracking the shell and placing them
back on the egg tray.
Turning and Cooling the Eggs.
Eggs should be turned and cooled
according to the directions furnished
With the incubator. The eggs are usu-
ily turned for the first time at the
end Of the second day of incubation
and twice daily through the eighteenth
and nineteenth day, or until the
chicks commence to pip. After turn.
Ing the eggs, reverse the egg trays
end for end, and from one side Of the
machine to the other in two-tray incd.
batots. Keep the incubator door
osed while turning the sggS, unless