Incubate or Broody?

[roostercluck]

I am wanting to hatch some new chicks and I was wondering if I should get an incubator or make a hen go broody? How do you make a hen go broody, and is it better or worse? If I should incubate, which is the best one at a reasonable price?

 

[sumi]

There are pros and cons to both broody hens and incubators. With a broody hen you don't have to worry about humidity and temperature and power failures, but with an incubator you can hatch eggs anytime you want... Personally I prefer roady hens, as long as the hens cooperate!

Unfortunately it is not possible to make a hen go broody. Broodiness is hormonal and it can happen any moment or it can never happen. Some hens are more prone to it and some breeds are more prone to it. If you really want to hatch eggs and don't want to wait for your hens to go broody you could buy an incubator. There are lots of models for sale at different prices from cheap to very expensive. Have a look at these reviews to give you an idea of how good the different models are:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/egg-incubators

If you don't have a lot of money to spent you could also build yourself one. Here are some home made ones:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19675
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=21547
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8510
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19496

 

[roostercluck]

Thank you for the information. I really appreciate it.