In 1911, the readers of advertisements in the Poultry Magazines were confronted with the statement that a certain incubator was the only competitor the hen had. But, it is sad to state, there must have been some mistake, for this incubator could not live up to the claim in the advertisement, nor, so far as it is known, is there any incubator which approximates that claim. Some marvelous hatches are written of, but the question is not one of marvelous hatches, so far as it means the number of chicks which manage to come through the strenuous act of exclusion, but the real question of incubation is as to the number of strong chicks, capable of living and growing into an animal which will become a money maker for the man who hatched and raised it.
Many people stand in great awe of an incubator, no matter what its make, and have the feeling that to hatch a fair number of chicks in a machine is almost a miracle. The fact is, however, if the purchaser of any incubator will realize that the manufacturer knows more about the proper way to run it than Tom Jones, or Bill Smith, who may be neighbors, and will follow the instructions as given by the manufacturer, with good fertile eggs, it will be almost a miracle if he does not get at least a fair hatch.
There are so many different makes of machines it is quite impossible to write a chapter on incubation which will cover the needs of all phases of it. The above advice, however, if followed, will certainly be more apt to bring about successful hatches than anything else that can be done.
On The Corning Egg Farm the problem of incubation has been most carefully studied from the inception of the Farm.
Uniform Temperature Most Important
A thermostat and regulator which will absolutely insure an even temperature in the egg chamber, and a thermostat so sensitive, with an adjustment of the regulator to such a nicety, that it will insure the maintaining of an equal temperature in the egg chamber even if there is a variation of atmosphere in the Cellar of from 10 to 20 degrees, is perhaps, the first great essential in incubation.
Ventilation and Moisture Next
Ventilation and the retention of moisture undoubtedly come next. The growing embryo must be fed a large quantity of oxygen, and there must be a sufficient amount of moisture to prevent a too rapid drying out of the egg, under the temperature which, if a chick is to result, must be maintained. So far as moisture goes, it is not a question of moisture at the time of hatching. If the proper amount of moisture has been always present during the period of incubation there will be no difficulty at the time of exclusion.
Where a large amount of incubation is going on, and the ordinary style of lamp heated machine is being used, oxygen is of necessity constantly absorbed from the atmosphere, by the fire. While it is quite possible, nay, even probable, that any of the mammoth machines of the day are far from what might be desired, still, they do solve the difficulty of a great number of individual fires sucking the vital oxygen.
Of the mammoth machines now on the market there are two which produce better chicks than any of the others, so far as we can see. There are features in the one which we finally decided upon, which, from our point of view, made it more desirable than the other. We feel, however, that in the construction of these machines there is much to be desired, and we suggest to any would-be purchasers to make most thorough and complete stipulations with any company from whom they purchase, as to the workmanship and finish of the machine, and also the proper fitting of one part to another, especially the proper working of doors and egg trays through all the different periods of incubation. All trays should be absolutely interchangeable, and there should be a sufficient amount of play in the runs, so that, with the swelling of the wood from the moisture, there would never be a possibility of their binding. While the doors should shut air-tight, their dove-tailed joints should so fit as to allow their coming away without a particle of stick, or jar, to the machine.