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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1914)
10 HOME AND FARM MAGAZTtffl STCC!TTOtf The following is the third of a series of articles by Harry M. Lainon, Senior Animal Husband man in Poultry Investigations, Animal Husbandry Division of Bureau of Animal Industry of the United States Department of Agriculture, on the natural and artificial incubation of hens' eggs. eggs. 3 THERE are a large number of re liable makes of incubators manu factured in this country, so that we can not recommend any particular machine. Some machines have become popular in certain sections 01 the coun try, because they were advertised ex tensively in that section rather than on account of special adaptability to the climatic conditions. Cheap machines are less reliable, require more attention, and wear out much quicker than higher priced incubators. As the value of the machines is small compared with the value of the eggs used during the nor mal life of an incubator, it is poor econ omy to purchase a maehine which is not reliable. Whenever possible it is well to select an incubator which is giving good satisfaction, in your vicinity, so that you may get the benefit of the experience of other operators in you section. The details of construction and equip ment of most incubators are so sub ject to change that it is impossible to state definitely the best kind of lamps, brackets, regulators and other equip ment for the different incubators. The lamp should have a bowl large enough to hold sufficient oil to burn at least 36 hours under average weather condi tions; it should be easy to remove and replace, and set absolutely tight in posi tion. The incubator should be set so that the lamp is at a convenient height and the egg tray convenient to handle. Number of Incubators. The best size ef an incubator to bny depends upon circumstances. It takes about as much time to care for a 60 as it does for a 380 egg machine, so that it is generally advisable to get one of at least 150-egg capacity, al though special conditions often exist which make smaller machines valuable. A small machine is often nsed in con nection with a larger one, placing all the eggs in the large maehine after the first or second test. Incubators of from 300 to 400 egg capacity are generally used on those large farms- which use in dividual lamp incubators. Many poultry men believe that it pays to have an in cubator capacity large enough to hatch the bulk of their stock in two or three batches, so that much time is saved in tending to the incubators ami brooders, while the chickens are more even in site than those that are hatched when the incubating period extends over a longer time. A fair estimate for poultry farm is an incubator space of oae-egg capacity per hen, provided that about one-half of the flock is to be renewed yearly and no outside hatching is car ried on. The larger machines cost less in proportion to their capacity than the smaller ones. Incubator Cellar or Hons. Incubators are operates in a great variety of places with sueeess. Where only a few small machines are used, they are generally run in a room or the cellar of the house. A speeial cellar or incubator house should be provided where the incubator equipment is ex tensive or where mammoth machines are used. The main essentials are to have a room which is not subject to great variations in temperature and which is well ventilated so that the air is fresh and sweet. If built above ground the walls should be double and the entire building well insulated. Good results in hatching are secured in incu bator cellars and in incubator rooms which are entirely above the ground level, but the former place is more com monly used. Incubators may be oper ated in buildings with single walls, es pecially in sections which have a mild climate, but a wcii-insuiaieu room i pre ferable. The incubator room or cellar should be large enough to allow the attendant to work around the machines convcn A Weekly Page of Poultry Hints to You Here is a Department Full of Bright Ideas For Readers of the Home and Farm Magazine Section. . iently. Many incubator collars are pro vided with some system of ventilation in addition to the windows, while in others the ventilation is controlled en tirely by the latter method. The essen tial features aro to keep the air in the room frau and sweet. Muslin screens on the windows provide good' ventilation without draft and at the same time keep the sun from shining on the machines. Many incubator cellars have cement floors, which are easier to keep clean and neater than dirt floors. Setting Up and Operating Incubator. Set np the incubator according to the manufacturer's directions, and see that the maehine is perfectly level. If a spirit level is not available, a long shal low pan of water set on top of the in cubator can be used as a level to assist in setting up the machine. Be sure that all parts of the incubator are in their proper positions and that the regulator works freely. Do not plane off the door of the incubator, if it sticks, until the machine has been heated np and thor oughly dried. Run the machine at about 108 degrees P. for a day before put ting in the eggs. It takes several hours for the machine to come back to its correct temperature after the eggs are first put in; therefore' the regulator should not be touched during that time. Bee to the regulation onf the tempera ture of. the incubator before opening the door of the maehine to attend to the eggs. Look to the care of the in cubator earefully and regularly, but do not change the regulator any more than is absolutely necessary. The eggs tend to throw off more heat as the embryo develops, so that it may be necessary occasionally to change the regulator slightly. The temperature of the egg ehamber may be regulated by lower ing the flame of the lamp in the middle of the day where the room is subjeet to a considerable rise in temperature. The machine should receive care enough so that the temperature remains nearly even. Most operators tend to their in cubators two or three times daily, and occasionally make extra trips as condi tions require them. Incubators requiro careful and regular attention, wnicn, though simple, is very exacting. It at tended to Tegularly incubators do not take much time, while neglect will gen erally show its effects on the hatch. The Correct Temperature. The eorreet temperature depends upon the position of the thermometer in the egg ehamber. The manufacturer's di rections should be followed and changed only after considerable experience in dicates that they can be improved. The need of this change may be due to the fact that a manufacturer can not make a maehine and rules which will be adapted to all conditions. When the bulb of the thermometer rests directly on the eggs the temperature il usually held at 101 1 degrees to 102 degrees F. the first week, 102 degrees to 103 de grees V. the second week, and 103 de gress F. the third week; while a hang ing thermometer is operated at about ICS degrees to 102J degrees Jr. tae ursi two weeks and 103 degrees, T. the last week. At hatching time the machine will frequently run up to 104 to 105 de gress F. without any injury to the chick ens. If the temperature has been right up to hatching time, it is usually better not to change the regulator at that time, provided the temperature does not run no above 105 degrees F. While the eggs will batch just as well U tne tempera. ture is run slightly higher than notea above throughout the hatch, the chick ens are apt to be wea' and hard to raise. In a good hatch the eggs will start to pip on the evening of the nine teenth day, and most or tne cnicsens will be out of the shell on the morning of the twenty-first day. If the hatch is much earlier or later than this it indicates that the conditions during in cubation have not been right. A hi temperature may hatchtoo quickly and produce weak chickens, while a con tinuous low temperature throughout the hatch will delay it for several hours. Care of the Lamp. Use good oil. Clean and fill the lamp once daily, trimming the wick by scrap ing the charred portion off with a knife or square-edged nail, or by cutting the wick with scissors. The burners should be kept free from dirt and thoroughly cleaned by boiling after each hutch A new wick is a good investment for each hatch, thus eliminating any danger of the wick giving out. Turn the eggs before earing for the lamp, so that there will be no chance to get oil on the eggs. The flame is apt to increase in size after lighting, so that it is ad visable to return about one-half an hour after tending to the lamp to sec that the flame is right. Care of Machine at Hatching Time. After the eggs begin to hatch, leave the machine alone until the hatch is well over. Do not open the door to see how the eggs are hatching, as it allows the moisture to escape, which is very essential at this time. Keep the incu bator dark at hatching time by cover ing the glass in the door with a cloth or burlap sack, so that the chicks will not be attracted to the front of the maehine by the light and become rest less. When the chicks are all batched, remove the egg tray and open the venti lators, according to the manufacturer's directions, and keep them in the incu bator from 24 to 36 hours after the hatch is over before removing them to the brooders. If they are to be shipped a long distance away, so that they will be on the road two or three days, it is better to ship them as soon as the hatch is over and the chicks are thoroughly dry. Chicks which pip, but are unable to get out of tile shell by their ows efforts, rarely amount to much if helped out, although, if desired, when most of the eggs are hatched and the chicks dried off, so that they will not be in jured by opening the incubator door, any which have pipped may be helped out by CTacking the shell and placing them back on the egg tray. Turning and Cooling the Eggs. Eggs should bo turned and cooled ac cording to the directions furnished with the incubator, The eggs are usually tnrned for the first time at the end of the second day of incubation and twice i daily through the eighteenth or nine teenth day, or until the chicks com menco to pip. After turning the eggs, reverse the egg trays end for end, and from one side of the machine to the other in two-tray incubators. Keep the incubator door closed whilo turning the eggs, unles the directions state that it should be left open. Various mechani cal devices have been invented for turn ing the eggs in the .incubator, but most poultrymen prefer to shuffle them with their hands, removing a lew lrora tne center of the tray and working the others toward that point, placing those which were taken out on the sides of the tray. (Cracked eggs may be saved by putting courtplaster over the crack, but this is advisable only in instances where the eggs are very valuable). The length of time to cool eggs depends upon the temperature of the incubator room. A good general rule is to leave the eggs out of the incubator until they feel Blightly cool to the nana, race or eyelid. Cool once daily after the seventh and up to the nineteenth day. Place the trays of eggs on the top of the machine or on a table in such a position that they nre not in a draft, and so that the tray does not project over the edge of its support, thereby al lowing part of the eggs to cool mucn quicker than the rest, a, SHELTER SHOULD BE WELL. THE HOUSE in which the chicks are sheltered during the summer months has a very marked effect upon the Tate and continuity of growth. The house for the summer flock is used pri marily as a place in which to roost at night, protected not only from the rains and damp cold nights whieh often come at some time during the summer, but also from the various enemies, such as rats, weasels, dogs, etc One of the reasons that young birds grow so rapid ly when allowed freo range is that they are continuously supplied with an abundance of fresh air, a very essential and important requirement of growing life of all kinds. It is of prime impor tance to construct houses for summer flocks with a view toward getting a maximum .mount of fresh air. This can be obtained only b building a house planned so that thoro will be abundant ventilation and circulation of fresh air during the night. Another quality, oilier than nbi-ndant ventilation, which a summer colony hmisa shonld have is roominess. Of crurse, it is hardly necessary to allow as much room in a house oi tnis Kino, a nro wnnlri in a winter lavine-bouse in which the birds would be confined the greater part of the time, but enough in nllnw each bird room enough to roost without beiug crowded is essential. Where chickens are Doing raised in rather large numbers, the colony system of rearing has proved to be very efficient. By this system we mean allowing one house to from fifty to seventy-five birds, and keeping them in smaller flocks rather than allowing several hundred to run together and roost together in one largo summer house. The colony-house is made port able so that it may be moved from place to place as it may De acsiraDie to An in order to make use of the most economical range or keep on hand a con stant supply of green feed. CAKING FOR THE YOUNG. THE object of caring for the young, growing birds during the summer months is to induco a uniform and continuous growth and development from hatching time to maturity. The oarly care necessitates proper breeding, which means a correct temperature and careful feeding. If chilling is prevented and they are kept from crowding in the hrnndnr a trreater oereentage of the birds hatched can be orought to the weaning age, which is usually from eight to ten weeks, in good condition. After thia time thev should be put out on the range, in fresh-air houses, and. overy effort mado to induce a continu ous, uniform development. GREEN FOOD NECESSARY. PLENTY of green succulent food is necessary during the warm summer months. With free range this is usually supplied. Where small yards are used, and it is impossible to keep grass growing continuously, it is the beat prac tice to divide the yard available, re gardless of size, into two yards, alter nating the growing of green crops in these yards. Peas and oats are a good early crop, but a permanent alfalfa soil probably makes the best green food, for, in addition to its succulence, it carries a high nitrogon contont. It is rarely profitable to attempt to roar many young chuks in close confine ment, with bare yards, without groon food, and an absence of shade. Where it is possible to give them an extended range and green sward abounds they can get plenty of grubs and insects, and can take plenty of exercise, whieh is conducive to health. The more range they have, the easier it is to keep the yard and soil green and free from con tamination. LICE-O k 1 1 T.g LICB OK POTTLTBT President Northwest Bqnab Club Indents Uce-O. Juas 29, '14. Shoreacrea Ranch, Vancouver, Wash. Gentlemen: I hare used your Llee-0 n lome of my fine pigeons and Barred Bocae with most excellent remit!. O. A. WARBSN. Is applied but twice a year, while powder ii applied twice a month. Lars Tube SO Postpaid. THE LIOE-0 CO. 286Vk Washington St, Portland, On. 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