Incubating or natural

[farmer0308]

Which is better natural or artificual. Just got a rooster for week and yesterday got a 5 month old and thinking about incubation which is better ?

 

[GitaBooks]

Both are awesome! Natural incubation makes the mommas happy, the babies are far happier having a real momma, but it is REALLY chaotic. The momma is good at making sure the babies are the right temperature. Incubators are far less chaotic, but I hear they often have a worse hatch rate.

If you have a broody hen, it is a ton of fun to let her set, as you don't have to worry about feeding, watering, and keeping the chicks warm. But even with the momma there, I worry about the chicks all the time.

Incubator eggs that are do in a week. My first incubator eggs!


One of my many broody mommas.

 

[farmer0308]

Well my hens dont set on eggs for more than 5 mins but when the rooster mates does that make them want to set

 

[GitaBooks]

Well my hens dont set on eggs for more than 5 mins but when the rooster mates does that make them want to set

Not really. Many hens will go broody even without a rooster. However, when one goes broody, the other hens seem more likely to want to give it a try. I have had Leghorns and Red Stars both go broody, even though both are known for almost never doing so.

 

[FridayYet]

There's a huge difference in incubators. The cheap ones need more "fussing" with to get a good hatch, the expensive ones usually work better, but you pay for it.

A hen needs to be broody before she will hatch a clutch of eggs. You can't "make" her be broody, she is either ready to set or she's not. If she stays on the nest all day, puffs up and growls at you if you come near, then she's probably broody.

I waited for a week to make sure mine wasn't getting off the nest, then gave her eggs to hatch.

PS: Some hens are better mothers than others!

 

[GitaBooks]

We had a broody hen that was nearing hatch date. We moved her eggs elsewhere and put under her some 2 day-old chicks (5 of them). At first she wasn't so sure about them and they weren't so sure about her, but now they are all very, very happy. The chicks adore having a momma to be with them, and the mother just loves taking good care of her babies.
But show the bad side of natural brooding, I just lost one a few minutes ago because it got tangled in her silkie feathers and broke its neck. That was very, very sad.