POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 33, 2 November 1918, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

(By "Chanticleer.") Incubator Problems. . ■'E.H.' , writes.—"l nm writing to you for aavlco on a. matter of incubating. I huvo posted you-some eggs out of a. hatch. I nave, just , got out or a 240-egj; machine. Oat of ZOO fertile eggs I have got .100 chickens,. The rest of the eggs had got clucks in them but did not come out of «io shell, The trouble seome to bo in the iinal hatching process. It is a brand now machine. Out,of three hatches, I havo not had 300 chicks. It has been the aamo trouble with them all. I have got a splendid room inside tho house, well ventilated and Bas.is ueed. I have run :the machiiio as near to instruction as is possible. ,1 have kept tho .temperature 'about 103 up to tho final hatching and then 104-105. The chickens that oame out Inst were ■weaklings,, and seemed, to bo weak in the legs. There /ere about , ten of tho with double-up • feet. Those in the > drawer ■■• nearest tho lamp came out 'splendidly, and from they other drawer (the machine has two drawers),l only got about 20 out. The previous hatch it was vico versa. Tho machine has ' worked splendidly all through, and the eggs have come along ■well right to the laet. • With tho eggs before you, perhaps,you might be able to enlighten me in the matter. If you oau I would be. greatly obliged. I was looking forward to great rosults for this season. I trust that you will do , your beet for me. From what I ,have. heard from different poultrymen in this district, you aro always willing, to.advise on matters affecting the poultry industry, and there ie always something to learn in incubating. Hoping to hear from you when you have examined the eggs sent by post." Answer: Our correspondent ie one of many who has to contend with difficulties in incubation. From examination of tho eggs they appear to have lacked cooling. Tho air-cells are not down sufficiently, and the chickens have hot had freedom of npaco for development. , . If the temperature was run at any length at 105 tins would account, for the deformities. There ore so mimy things that cao happen to cause bad hatches. The breeding Btock should be of ttio best, and the Birds unrblated. Inbreeding is a safe procedure, for the man who knows, bat for the' novice, ho should have distinct strains. Caro of the eggs, want of or exceee ventilation. and moisture; lust of cooling, and turning too high or too low temperature. If. the drawer in each machino registered the eatne temperature it is hard , to account for the difference in rcßults. Poßsibly the thermometers need testing. The beginner usually loojts for big returns in hatching. Over a number of years, and after, hatching 10,000 chicks each year, wo, find an average of about 60 is all that may bo looked for. ThO .beginner must riot expect high results every ■ hatch. He must roraovo all the possible causes, and having done this he must be content with results,

Poultry Hints. Wheu the yolk of an, ess: ie pdle yellow in colour'it is usually due to the absence, of green i cod.' In the rearing of : turkeye two things are most necessary. . One is to see thn,k chopped garlic or onions are fed every day, arid the other thtt they are freo from lico. Sandy 801 lie the beat for them. If you have a hen on eEKS and think she ie sitting too close, so that she is likely to smother the chicka'at .hatching-: time, try. the plan of a-ddinz two large china wis.lo-the'-nost— the bincer the bet-' ter. They will keep hor froin Eettingdown; too clneo oh tho other eggs, and so five the chtcke room to-move boing flattened out. '.'.'■ ;