Incubation on the Corning Egg Farm
We find, in studying Artificial Incubation, it has been in vogue, one
might almost say, for centuries. The Chinese practiced artificial
incubation by the use of hot sand and ovens, for it must be remembered
that the Pekin Duck, which comes from China, is a non-setter.
Therefore, ages ago, the Chinese were driven to the necessity of
artificial incubation in order to maintain their large flocks of ducks.
In studying the art one cannot help wondering that the progress in its
development has been so slow, and the advance, year by year, has been
almost nothing.
Hen Reigns Supreme
The Owners of The Corning Egg Farm were somewhat taken aback one
day by the statement of a young man that he must evolve a theory of
incubation for himself, and carefully carry it out. In incubation one
does not want theory, but the knowledge which comes from long practice
and the most scientific study of the art. After all these years, the
hen, as a hatcher, reigns supreme. There is nothing which approximates
her ability to turn out strong, vigorous chicks, and yet it is
unfortunately necessary to abandon the hen when large numbers of chicks
are to be produced. So Man has struggled in his vain efforts to reach
something which will, at least in a measure, become a competitor of the
hen.
Livable Chicks--Not Numbers
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.
Hot Water Machines Best
When it had been fully determined by The Corning Egg Farm to put in
Hot Water Heated Incubators, the capacity desired being about sixteen
thousand eggs, it was concluded to divide this capacity between two
machines.
It was also decided to build an entirely new Incubator Cellar, and
the dimensions were 146 feet long by 22 feet wide, 7 feet from the
concrete floor to the bottom of the floor joists, these latter being
12 inches in width, making a full height to the floor of the Brooder
House overhead, 8 feet. The floor joists on the under side of the
floor of the Brooder House are planed and painted white. The Cellar
is constructed of concrete blocks, made rock faced, and showing in
the interior of the Cellar. The two incubators are also painted white
enamel.
So as to eliminate any question of the consumption of oxygen by fire
in the Cellar the heaters are placed with a concrete block partition
between them and the incubators, the hot water pipes passing through
this concrete wall, and connecting with the incubators.
In this separate part of the Cellar, where the heaters for the
incubators stand, are also the two heaters for the Brooding System,
upstairs, and also the large auxiliary heater which cares for the
hot-water system which allows the Brooder House to be carried at an
even temperature, day and night.
In the heater part of the Cellar there are three large windows, and an
entrance is made into this Cellar through a vestibule which is ten by
nine feet. The doors leading into this are large, double, glass doors,
and from the landing just inside there is a staircase leading to the
Brooder House, above. Entrance is made into the Heater Cellar through
another pair of glass doors, five feet wide. The Incubator Cellar
itself is reached directly in the center by a four foot door, also of
glass. The two side alleys between the incubators and the outer walls,
are also reached from the Heater Cellar by narrow, glass doors.
Corning Incubator Cellar Unequaled
It is believed this Cellar, with its plan of equipment, is unequaled,
anywhere, as to the convenience of its general arrangement. Ample light
and ventilation are supplied in the Incubation Cellar proper, by twelve
windows on the north and east sides, the south wall being blank, as the
chick runs from the Brooder House go out on that side.
It is impossible, owing to the necessity of the narrow alleys between
the incubators and the walls, to use the V-shaped window drops, which
have been so successful on the Farm for the prevention of draughts.
The windows work on sash-weights, both top and bottom. A Spring Roller
Shade device, covered with sheer muslin, with a screw eye on the window
sill, is so placed that the cord may be passed through it, holding the
shade rigid. Thus, when the prevailing wind creates a draught, the
window may be opened to any desired width, and the draught prevented by
the shade.
In operating the incubators they are run empty for a sufficient number
of hours to adjust the regulator, and to know they will maintain a
temperature of 103 degrees exactly.
Eggs Turned from Third to Eighteenth Day
After eggs are placed in the incubators the process of turning does
not begin until the third day, after which they are turned regularly
twice a day until the completion of the 18th day, when they are left
undisturbed.
103 Degrees Maintained
The temperature at which the incubators are carried for the first week
is a matter of wide difference of opinion. In many cases 102 degrees
is the maximum temperature for the first seven days, after which 103
is maintained as closely as possible during the remaining period of
incubation. In operating the incubators on The Corning Egg Farm it has
been found (and this is particularly true of early hatches) that,
if the eggs are not brought up to 103 degrees for the first week, a
retarded hatch is the result. A hatch which drags over its time usually
means a lot of weaklings. It is our practice, therefore, to bring the
eggs up to 103 degrees as soon as possible after setting them, and to
continue this temperature as nearly as possible.
Cool But Never Cold
Cooling the eggs is of course practiced on The Corning Egg Farm. For
the first week, five or six minutes will usually be found a sufficient
time, but as the embryo grows the length of time should be increased.
It is quite impossible to give any exact length of period for cooling,
and it must be determined by the feel of the egg to the hand. They
should never reach a point where they can be termed perfectly cold, but
should feel slightly warm as the palm of the hand is laid upon them.
In cooling, the egg tray should be placed on top of an incubator or
table so that the bottom is completely protected, otherwise the eggs
will cool too rapidly. In other words they should lie as they do in the
nest of the hen. According to atmospheric conditions, cooling, during
the latter part of incubation, will sometimes reach from forty to sixty
minutes. It is a practice with us to give the eggs a very long period
of cooling on the 18th day, before they are placed in the incubator for
the last time.
After closing the incubator on the 18th day it is not opened again
until the chicks are removed on the 22d day.
To open the door and reach in to assist some chick out of difficulty
means allowing the moisture to escape, and, while the one individual
which was seen to be in trouble might be rescued, by the lack of
moisture in the egg chamber, many others would be held fast in the
shell.
Cover Glass Doors
When the chicks begin to hatch we make it a practice to throw a cloth
over the glass door, so as to prevent the youngsters crowding toward
the light, and piling up on top of each other, either in the egg trays
or in the nurseries below.
All Good Chicks Hatch in 20 Days
Many people have an erroneous idea in regard to the time required for
hatching. If the temperature has been carried at a correct point during
the entire period the eggs will begin to pip on the afternoon of the
19th day, and the morning of the 20th day should find the youngsters
coming out of the shells like Pop Corn over a hot fire if the eggs have
been of proper strength, but on the morning of the 21st day the hatch
should be completed. Generally speaking, chicks which hatch later than
the 21st day are weak, and while they may come along for a time, when
placed in the Brooder House they generally snuff out, and add to the
list of mortalities.
Set Incubators Toward Evening
It is our belief that there is a best time in the twenty-four hours in
which to set an incubator. As a rule, it requires about eight hours
after the eggs have been placed in the machine for it to come up to
temperature. Therefore, if the eggs go into the chamber late in the
afternoon, and anything goes wrong with the regulator, the eggs cannot
have been in a detrimental temperature for any great length of time
before the operator is making his first morning round. We observe
the temperature in the egg chamber three times a day as a rule, the
first thing in the morning before the eggs are turned; at noon, or a
sufficient number of hours after turning and cooling the eggs, allowing
a sufficient time to elapse for coming up to temperature; and again
late in the afternoon, before the final turning for the day. At these
hours of observation any slight alteration of regulator, to meet
changes noted in the temperature, is, of course made.
The Hot Water, Coal-Heated, Incubator is a great step in advance, and
these machines are now built in sizes from twelve hundred eggs up.
With the old style lamp machine, people who were running a small plant
did not need an Incubator Cellar, but the Insurance Companies would not
allow the placing of an incubator in the cellar of a house without
a special permit, and in many cases would not issue such a permit at
all. The hot water machine will, of course, go into any cellar without
vitiating the insurance, and, what is more, the machine itself is
insurable, just as is any hot water plant in a house.
Tested Only on Eighteenth Day
Until this season, on The Corning Egg Farm, we had made it a rule to
test the eggs on the 14th day. Many operators believe in testing the
eggs from the 5th to the 7th day, again on the 14th, with the final
test on the 18th day. In operating one of the old style machines, with
the large trays, it was expedient to remove the clear eggs and those
with dead germs to facilitate the turning of the eggs in the trays,
but all this arduous labor is done away with in the hot water machine.
The trays hold seventy-five eggs, and are so constructed that one tray
fits on top of another, and then the trays are simply reversed and the
turning is accomplished. This makes it necessary to have a full tray
to prevent the eggs rolling and breaking when they are turned in the
manner described. Testing the eggs is, therefore, deferred until the
18th day.
When one sees the tremendous saving of time which the coal-heated, hot
water machine accomplishes for the operator, it produces a feeling
bordering on mirth in the man who has labored with the old style
machine and big tray, when thousands of eggs were turned by hand twice
a day. Ten thousand eggs in one of the modern machines are handled with
less effort and in less time than three thousand could possibly be
cared for in one of the other styles of incubator.
Moisture
On The Corning Egg Farm moisture is provided in the Cellar by
thoroughly wetting the floor with a hose twice a day, the floor sloping
gently to a drain in one corner. Large earthen-ware vessels, of about
three inches in depth and eighteen inches in diameter, are stood
at different points throughout the Cellar, and are constantly kept
filled with fresh water. This is done, not so much for the purpose of
increasing the humidity of the air, as it is to take up the impurities.
As an illustration, if you stand vessels filled with water in a freshly
painted room, the odor of paint is almost entirely absorbed by the
water.
As even a temperature as possible is carried in the Cellar, and at all
times there is a constant flow of fresh air, but it is so controlled
that it does not produce a draught. It should be remembered that while
a moist cellar is desirable, unless it is well ventilated, it is
utterly unfit for the purpose of incubation.
Chicks Handled Only Once
The chicks, at the end of the 22d day, are counted out of the incubator
into large baskets lined with Canton Flannel, and in these they are
carried upstairs to the Brooder House.
The last act of the chicken, before pipping the shell, is to absorb
into its system the yolk of the egg, which supplies it with a
sufficient amount of nourishment to last at least forty-eight hours.
This supply of nourishment is what really makes possible the tremendous
business carried on in “baby chicks.” But, as The Corning Egg Farm
views it, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should step
in and stop this business. After exclusion is accomplished the chick
is thoroughly exhausted, and for a number of hours, if left to its own
devices, it lies in a deep sleep.
Baby Chick Business Cruel
Consider then the torture that this small animal is put through when it
is taken out of the warm egg chamber, or nursery, as soon as it is dry
enough, packed like a sardine in a box, and then hustled to an express
office, placed on a train, and, by the swaying of the train, kept in
constant motion.
The sellers of day old chicks in many cases guarantee the arrival of
the small “puff ball” alive. Unless the distance is extreme this is not
such a difficult feat. They are alive on arrival, and perhaps continue
to live in apparently fair strength for some days, but somewhere
between the 7th and 10th days the mortality usually runs into such
numbers that the purchaser finds the remaining number of youngsters
has cost him about a dollar apiece. As the season advances many more of
them drop off, one by one, from causes which, to the unsophisticated,
are unknown.
A short time ago a gentleman who has been engaged in the Baby Chick
business for a number of years was making a call at The Corning Egg
Farm, and expressed his regret at having placed an order with a breeder
of White Rocks for eggs at too late a date to insure their delivery
before the first day of May. The breeder, however, had offered him some
day old chicks. Our amusement was considerable when he remarked that he
would not accept a day old chick as a gift if he was expected to pay
the expressage.
The man who expects to procure strong, healthy youngsters would much
better place his money in eggs for hatching, from reliable breeders,
than to make himself a party to the suffering of these helpless mites.
If the humane side of the argument does not appeal to him, certainly
the money expended will.
Correct records, on cards designed by us for the purpose, are kept on
The Corning Egg Farm, showing the results from the incubators. These
are filed, giving the Farm a record which, as the years go by, becomes
invaluable, when planning for a year’s work in incubation.
+-----------------+ +-----------------+
| INCUBATOR NO. | |HOVER NO. |
+-----------------+ +-----------------+
|Set P. M. 191 | | 191 |
+-----------------+ +-----------------+
| Eggs | | Chicks |
| Clear | +-----------------+
| Dead | |on 191 |
| ---- ---- | +-----------------+
| Hatchable | |Moved to |
+-----------------+ | Colony House No.|
| Chicks| +-----------------+
+-----------------+ | |
|Turn P. M.| | |
+-----------------+ | |
|14th day | | |
+-----------------+ | |
|18th day | | |
+-----------------+ | |
|21st day | | |
+-----------------+ +-----------------+
[Illustration: BROODER HOUSE SHOWING CHICK RUNS
Extension of Building Nearing Completion]