RUNNING AN INCUBATOR.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 61

RUNNING AN INCUBATOR.

The agents of a well-known machine have supplied the Melbourne 'Deader" with the following notes which should be read with interest:—“Would say that there are many causes of chicks dying in the shell that have nothing whatever to do with the method of incubation. Chief among these is a faulty or debilitated condition of the breeding stock, which results in imperfect yolk food, weak germs, or both. Eggs from such stock may run fairly fertile, and still have the germs die at all stages of the hatch, or the chicks may even hatch very well, and die off rapidly within the first ten days or two weeks. This is particularly the case where hens are forced for egg production or fed heavily on moist mashes. Possibly you may find that the fault lies in the breeding stock, however, from what yon say about eggs with dead chickens in them that only half filled the eggs, there seems reason for believing that the eggs may have been dried down too much through excessive ventilation or too much cooling and airing. Would say that if Jhe climate is particularly hot and dry t would be advisable to run the machine in a cellar that is partly or wholly beneath the ground level, and taking the precaution tap keep the air of the room moist by sprinkling the floor at frequent intervals, or keeping hessian, which has been wet hung Up about the room, and wetting this daily. By saturating the atmosphere of the incubator room in this manner more moisture will be made available for the tuse of the tnachine in very not weather, giving better results in the hatch. the weather is very hot and dry ire do hot recommend cooling the eggs; eve* then five to fifteen minutes

a day, according to conditions, is sufficient for airing and cooling. When the machines are rnn in a room where moisture is used on the floor daily, or on sacks hung about the room, it will be wise to run with the bottom vents open throughout the hatch. In temperate or cool weather run with the bottom vents closed, and do not practise cooling the eggs. Under such conditions they will get sufficient airing while being turned, and should be returned promptly to the machine and not disturbed until the next turning time. Turn the eggs as nearly twelve hours apart as possible. "We recommend that operators run their lamp with a moderately high flame at the beginning of the hatch, gradually reducing the height of the flame as the hatch progresses until they are running with the minimum flame required at Hatching time. Eveiy precaution must be taken to avoid jarring, chilling, or overheating the eggs during the first week of incubation; after this period the eggs will stand quite a little abuse and still batch well, but during the first week it is an easy matter to so injure the eggs that the results will be very disappointing.”