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The Rhodesia Herald, 12 July 1930
EVERY incubator sole has a book of instructions. These should be read several times, and all the salient parts marked and noted.
Do not try and act differently, because of some stray advice as the result is invariably bad.
The makers want you to get the best results out of their machines and give them credit for some common-sense.
At hatching time, the vital necessity is heat. Do not open the drawer on any account after the first egg is seen to be chipping until the hatch is quite over on the morning of the 22nd day.
When an incubator drawer is opened prior to the completion of the hatch then cold air rushes in and dries up the membrane of the shell, and by making it tough, forbids the chick inside from breaking through, and thus causing what is known as “dead in shell.”
If the incubator should rise in temperature above 105 degrees, no alarm need be felt.
But every endeavour must be made to supply extra moisture.
At hatching time, the floor, if on concrete, should be kept damp, and in addition, tins of hot water placed beneath the machine, so that the hot moisture can rise and enter into the ventilation holes of the incubator.
Even on the morning of the 22nd day, it may be found that after removing all the hatched chicks that there still remain some eggs which have not yet hatched out, although it is evident that there is a live chick inside.
There are some breeders who advise that such chicks should get no assistance in hatching, and it must be said that very often some of the chicks are those weaklings who, not having the strength to emerge, would be better to be left unhatched, but there are cases where a little help will bring out quite a good, strong healthy chick.
It is extraordinary the errors and mistakes that persons can make in the running of incubators, despite the provision of books of instructions.
Lessons for today
Many decades after this article was published, it should be noted that the poultry business in Zimbabwe has remarkably improved thus re-igniting the need to have egg incubators and to know hot make the best out of them.
Those who are in the poultry business are encouraged to consider using incubators to improve
their breeding.
An egg incubator is one of the best inventions that provides an opportunity for those who want to be excellent farmers.
The incubator will help farmers to produce products in a short time with large numbers of eggs.
An egg incubator can be considered a replacement for incubation sessions of the chicken. Due to the controlled temperatures, it can be more effective than the cock.
Online Reporter