Incubator or Chicken?

[Eden83_haaretz]

Hello everyone, just wondering what you all prefer, if you rather use an incubator or allow your chickens/poultry reproduce incubate and hatch naturally?

These last few weeks (basically new to having chickens) we've been allowing our chickens to hatch and raise their chicks. I see some disadvantages and lots of advantages. But wanted to know what each one of you thought.

Greetings!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

Both! Since I frequently hatch eggs, I use incubators the most, but I'll allow a hen to set on eggs when she goes broody. I don't get a lot of broodies though.

 

[neo71665]

I don't get many but I let the chicken take care of hatching. I got enough things to look out for on a farm.

 

[Eden83_haaretz]

Both! Since I frequently hatch eggs, I use incubators the most, but I'll allow a hen to set on egg when she goes broody. I don't get a lot of broodies though.

All my chickens are going broody, one after the other. They'll lay around 15-20 eggs and then sit on them, issue is most of them are first timers and we've been learning together what goes on in a broody flock.

 

[Yardmom]

If a hen goes broody we give her eggs. How many depends on the "need" for chicks. We like to incubate as well so we sometimes use an incubator when we want to hatch certain eggs.

 

[Yardmom]

All my chickens are going broody, one after the other. They'll lay around 15-20 eggs and then sit on them, issue is most of them are first timers and we've been learning together what goes on in a broody flock.

You can manage what eggs they hatch. Eggs can be laid by any hen. You can control the number they start with. Make sure all eggs under a hen start the same day. Mark the eggs or lock the broody where others can not get in the nest.

 

[FuzzyCritters]

All my chickens are going broody, one after the other. They'll lay around 15-20 eggs and then sit on them, issue is most of them are first timers and we've been learning together what goes on in a broody flock.

What breeds do you have? I think I've got the wrong breeds!

 

[Eden83_haaretz]

You can manage what eggs they hatch. Eggs can be laid by any hen. You can control the number they start with. Make sure all eggs under a hen start the same day. Mark the eggs or lock the broody where others can not get in the nest.

Is it unusual for hens to respect each other's nest?

What breeds do you have? I think I've got the wrong breeds!

Here in Mexico they call them gallina Fina, they're usually used for rooster fights (which my husband and I hate and abhor). There are many breeds that fall in that category; not an expert but I think we have Kelso, sweater, um, those are the only ones I've been able to sort of identify though the Internet. But I'll post pics tomorrow and maybe you or someone else can identify them (I'm pretty sure some of them might be cross breeds). They're really prolific, right now I have 5 chickens with small chicks (11 chicks, they'd have more but we took most of the eggs). I five others that went broody, and another four more that are laying eggs. It's mayhem really because they are super protective of their chicks with each other and we're even had to break up fights occasionally, our rooster has also broken up fights between them (he actually pushed back Hawks that have tried to take chicks (he's a Radio breed).

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I used an incubator for my first hatch.
Pippin is broody so we are going to give her an egg.
It depends whether you want hand-raised, tame chicks or a bit more distant chicks

 

[Eden83_haaretz]

I used an incubator for my first hatch.
Pippin is broody so we are going to give her an egg.
It depends whether you want hand-raised, tame chicks or a bit more distant chicks

Yeah great point, we have a 8 week old chick that we hand raised for a week and then gave it to it's mom; the only unfortunate side effect is that since it was premature and mom has now let them be chickens (not caring for them anymore) this one that is smaller, now follows me constantly and stands outside the door waiting for us.
The other issue we are having right now is that our chickens that have chicks sometimes fight because the other that also has chicks comes to close and it's not like we keep them in a coop or run, they free range and have lots of space; it has been getting better as weeks pass. I guess they are defining their pecking order...