Hen versus Incubator

[RichmondHens]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm curious. So many people are hatching eggs using machines. Some are having trouble making/setting them up. Then if/when the eggs hatch you worry about brooder temperature etc. Seems a lot of effort to get a few chicks (half of which will be boys anyway).

Why not use a hen? Good old fashioned hen. Has worked for centuries. Keep a broody type amongst your flock eg Silkie, Sussex, Orpington and all (or maybe most) of the worry is taken away.

You still get the thrill and aah factor seeing the cute fluffy chicks and they look so much better popping out from under mummy hen than sitting in a brooder box. You can also go out for the day without worrying about whether or not they are ok.

As I said, just curious, that's all. Not knocking anyone. Please don't take offence.

[Suechooks]

My reason is that I've NEVER had one go broody! All my girls are laying hybrids and several ex-batts. I've hatched some bantams and hope that next year my incubator will be redundant! I'd much rather do it with a broody but felt I'd like to try hatching rather than buying pure breeds in after the traumas of all being stolen last year. Having said that I really enjoyed the experience of hatching and the short time we've had them the brooding process hasn't been too bad. I invested in an "electric hen" but other than that all my equipment has been recycled from dog breeding days.
Definitely like the oooooh aaaah part too!

[Snadger]

My reason is that the one and only time I've tried using a broody she got up of the eggs at about 12 days and just walked away!

Undetered I had another chook go broody but by the time I received the eggs from eBay she too had given up the ghost!

At least with an incy I have some input and can only blame myself!

PS The first broody was a Light Sussex and the second was an ISA Brown!

[Bramble-Poultry]

I use both methods. Neither is right or wrong or better or worse just when you hatch loads you need the reliability of an incubator.

hens are only anygood if you have one broody at the time you want to incubate, I have loads of hens that go broody but you can guarantee its never when I have loads of eggs to incubate!! sods law I guess.

I will say that there is something lovely about a mother hen and her little ones more natural and much nicer than in a brooder table.

[walldanzig]

Ive just had another one go broody so tempted to put something under but Im about at my limit not for room but amount of eggs I can shift

[MaureenHall]

I've done both and if I had a broody right now she'd be on the eggs that are in my incubator I agree, it's great being able to leave her to do the job as nature intended, but I'm not the most patient person. Also, last year when I hatched out the first lot it was the very first time in my whole life that I'd ever watched a hatching and the experience was (and still is) absolutely magical. Having said that, there's nothing to beat watching a mum showing off and teaching her chicks

[di]

We did both last year and swore that from now on it's Mother Hen all the way(even though both siittings were fraught with worry) ........but obviously that does all depend on having a broody when you want one!

[kirsty b]

Had 2 ex-batts go broody last year and it was fantastic to see them sit togther the whole time, and share motherhood of 11 chicks. Was truly gutted when fox visited when babbas were about 14 weeks old and I lost all but 4 of my flock. I truly thought I had cracked run safety, and to find out I was wrong in worst possible way was horrible.

Now I have the banties, I'm hoping they will be reliable broodies and the incubator will be redundant except for the odd occasion. I loved watching them hatch, and having them in the house, but I wake in the night/early hours and have to go check the cat/dog hasn't been shut in and eaten them. mad I know, cos I double check they are both out before I go to bed...worse than having a newborn child in the house!!

[its hilly]

For me its had to be inci.
First time cos I lost my chooks, but had some eggs, so topped up off ebay and went for it.
After that purely because my chooks werent old enough to go broody.
Now my pure breed are coming into lay, i may well shove eggs under owt that goes broody...but they can sit on the hybrid eggs first as it wont matter as much if they walk off and leave them. And it would be nice to have proper families

But now Im getting the knack of setting the inci I can hatch more at one go, the brooders a 3' x 4' dog cage at home, so I know theyre safe and get to watch them grow and be used to being handled, and Im convinced that helps keep the cockerals friendly cos they grow up thinking I'm the mafia don of the chicken world

[petal]

I am looking forward to they day when we get a broody hen, as we have pekins, silkies and buff orpingtons I hope its just a matter of time.

[RichmondHens]

Thanks for all your replies.

I agree it is very frustrating waiting for a hen to go broody so you can start incubating and hatching. I'm in that very situation at the moment. Although I have a broody right now, she has been sitting too long and I would like to stop her so she can gain a little condition. I'm really after some of my old regulars to go broody as then want to get some LS eggs under. I do have trouble getting my big girls to go broody. Only one (an old maran) has ever gone broody. None of the others do, so the job is usually left to the bantams, who although reliable, cannot cover as many large eggs as I would like.

I do have a small incubator which I run at the same time as the hen, then all the chicks go under the hen when they hatch.

Anyway, the plan is I want to get some eggs set by Friday so they hatch off in time for Easter weekend - watch this space!