Poultuy Notes

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 25 September 1909, Page 1

Poultuy Notes

NO VENTILATION IN INCUBATION. Air Samuel Ellis (N.S.W., who has beyn following up the valuable expeii-n:c-nts he conducted for us last year, in regard to ventilation during incubation, has come to his own conclusions as to the cause ci many people experiencing bad hatches and losses through chicks dying in the shell. As he advocates and practices turning the eggs right over once a day only, he naturally does net attribute it to insufficient turning. Mr Ellis writes as follows to tho "Daily Telegraph" : — I notice in last Saturday's issue a lot of correspondence on the subject of turning eggs in incubators. It almost all amounts to twaddle. I do not say that it is not better to turn eggs twice a day but there is so very little difference as not to justify the extra work. I was very pleased to see that none of your correspondents couched on the supposed importance of airing the eggs. That is a thing of the past. There is more damage done to eggs in airing them too much in t|tirning them liwice; tihaii there is benefit gained from the extra labour. If ,eggs are kept out tp cool down too much it makes the skin tough and hard, and takes the vitality out of the egg, . consequently the chicks when due, have lost all the strength that should be in them. Just the same thing arises from giving the eggs too much ventilation. 1 can now hatch chicks and ducks better than ever without any ventilation whatever. "I bought three Cyphers Incubators last year, and could not do any good with them, hatching only about 30 per cent. This year I closed up all the slides in the bottom of thos c machines and they have averaged 89 per oent. One of my Zenith 2CO egg-double-door machines hatched this week 98 per cent. I never open a ventilator until the chicks start to chip, and the chickens are splendid — not one cripple. I have been recommending those who are using "Ncnpariel machines to close up all the holes . in front, and all at the back with the exception of two, and to take out the J water tray and close that hole up, too. -Mr E. liarphnm, of Schoficld's Siding, informed me thilt he got in his Nonpariel incubator $2 chicks from 115 eggs I sent him, 65 being dead in the shell. . I advised him to stop up the ventilator with tho next lot. He waa a bit timid about it, and stopped up only two holes at the back, and all the others, but his hatch was 50 per oent. bett«r. As you will soo by the enclosed letters, Mr F. M'Dowell, Hoxton Park, who uses a | Nonpariel, get only 45 per cent, from his first hatch, six of which were sick- , ly and died ; while 40 fully formed chicks were dead in the shell. Running the next batch with ventilators closed ho got- 75 per cent., and he says — "My success this time, I consider, was entirely due to your advice. The chides are a fine healthy lot — not a I weedy one amongst them.' "