Freebie and I have never tried a incubator and she just had her first chick hatched with a hen a couple of weeks ago. Her aurtralorp has gone broody big time and is setting on eggs and a bantam hen may have also gone broody. She has a pretty good maternity ward going on lol. In my opinion I prefer the hen way. I have read to many horror stories on incubators here. I know many have breeds that don't set and they have to resort to one. I just feel having the hen doing is better, less time consuming and healthier, plus seeing the relationship between a hen and her chick is priceless.