Broody vs Bator...

[HuffleClaw]

Hello!

My flock is currently driving me insane...they’ve almost all been broody at least once, but my Bantam Cochins & Silkies 2+ times, so far.

Well, I’ve incubated lots of eggs this year... I love incubating eggs in an incubator, because it’s more "hands-on"

I’ve found that I lose significantly more embryos than my hens do. But why?

My hens have close to 100% hatch rates, and I have 50% or less, usually.

The eggs have all been from my own flock, same birds, so it’s not the source. I have 2 calibrated thermometers & one hygrometer to measure temp and humidity. I have a still air incubator and a forced air incubator. I do find that my hatches in the forced air incubator are slightly better than the ones in the still air...

I find it curious, that even with interruptions from the other girls, the broody hens have better success at hatching...

Is this one of those "Broody does it best" type things?

Thank you,
HuffleClaw / Kayla

 

[sourland]

Your broodies are slackers. I have had broody silkies raise as many as 4 or 5 broods in a season. Properly set up, in my experience, broodies have hatched nearly 100 % of viable eggs. I did well with incubators, but nowhere near as consistently as 'broody mamas'.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Your broodies are slackers. I have had broody silkies raise as many as 4 or 5 broods in a season. Properly set up, in my experience, broodies have hatched nearly 100 % of viable eggs. I did well with incubators, but nowhere near as consistently as 'broody mamas'.

Egg-laying slackers! Thank you Sour!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'd definitely say broodies do it best!

I love chickens. They really are marvelous and largely unappreciated.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Egg-laying slackers! Thank you Sour!

Especially since they aren't laying if they're broody! Not incubating AND not laying? Slackers, for sure!

 

[Trish1974]

Is this one of those "Broody does it best" type things?

YES! I will take a broody over an incubator any day! Nature does it best.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Especially since they aren't laying if they're broody! Not incubating AND not laying? Slackers, for sure!

Well.... yeah! They’ll lay for about 2 weeks and go broody, again.

 

[HuffleClaw]

YES! I will take a broody over an incubator any day! Nature does it best.

Thank you! I’m really beginning to think that my incubator should be for emergencies only.

Lovely Araucana, btw

 

[Compost King]

a year or so ago I said I preferred a broody to an incubator but I was new to incubating with lousy hatch rates and only had one broody hatch out eggs. I choose broody hands down as what is better. My hatch rates are better and I have had about dozen broody hens and some broody hens are awful mothers so I would say it depends on the mother. A good broody mother still wins my preference but I have had broody hens that couldn't keep their chicks alive.

 

[HuffleClaw]

a year or so ago I said I preferred a broody to an incubator but I was new to incubating with lousy hatch rates and only had one broody hatch out eggs. I choose broody hands down as what is better. My hatch rates are better and I have had about dozen broody hens and some broody hens are awful mothers so I would say it depends on the mother. A good broody mother still wins my preference but I have had broody hens that couldn't keep their chicks alive.

My broodies have been awesome so far, thank goodness! One of them has 12 guinea keets, bless her little heart