Start the incubator at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and by the second day, it will reach the temperature of 102 degrees.
Fig. 143. Egg tester.
Violent fluctuations of temperature in the incubator are dangerous and should be avoided.
Accuracy in reading temperatures and in adjusting the thermostat and ventilators is essential. Fill the lamp and turn the eggs regularly. Cleanliness is important. Disinfect the incubator between hatches, and air it well. Cresol soap and water make a good disinfectant for incubators. Turn and handle eggs with clean hands.
To know whether the incubator has the proper amount of moisture supplied, weigh the trays before filling, weigh after filling. At the end of the fifth day, weigh tray and eggs again, subtract the tray weight, which is constant, from the weight of the whole, and note the difference between this weight and the original weight of the eggs. If 100 eggs have lost 8.38 ounces, or 4.17 per cent of their weight, the moisture is correct.
Fig. 144. Appearance of
eggs when put in egg
tester.
If they have lost too much weight, give more moisture or less ventilation, but, remember, that pure air is essential to incubators, so do not shut off ventilation entirely.