Incubating or Naturally Hatched?

[lorijohnson823]

Hey All! I am trying to decide if I want to incubate eggs this spring or have some of my Silkies naturally hatch their own babies.?
What do you all do? What are the pros and cons?

I am just not sure what is right for me this coming year! I have not hatched my own babies before.

-Undecided.

 

[bloonskiller911]

i like them both. with naturally hatched eggs there is a lot less work for you, you get to see mama with her baby chicks and that is cute, but using the incubator is ADDICTIVE!!!! plus you get to play with the babies more and they are much more tame and easier to mess with. while docility is a plus it can also be a hinderance, like when you are carrying a bucket of scraps and can't get chickens from under your feet. i incubate eggs each year and i allow one hen to go broody and incubate eggs. we sell eggs so i like to be getting as many as possible and my hen that i let set is a very protective mother so i don't have to worry about predators as much with her. i'd try it both ways and see which you prefer. only you will know what is best for you.

 

[sumi]

I've done both and I prefer broody hens. They do all the work for you and it's fun watching them. Their bodies are designed for this and they control temperature, humidity etc beautifully. Also, it's easier to introduce the new chicks to the rest of the flock when they have a mommy hen with them.
With incubators you are committed to being there on time 3+ times a day to turn the eggs, you have to watch the temperature and humidity and there's the possibility of power failures, temperature spikes etc.

Incubating eggs is fun, but I found broodies much less stressful!