Incubator or Hen Hatched?

[Zip]

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some advice on wether I should use an incubator or a hen to hatch.

I have a pair of Black Breasted Red Old English Game chickens, they've hatched some babies on thier own before, but all of the young ended up being killed due to the lack of preperation before the hatch. I havn't seen her set since but I'm thinking that it could just be the cold, snowy wether making her unbroody. her and the rooster, as well as another hen we had were bought as a trio and had been together all of thier life, but the 2 recently had to watch the second hen get killed by a cat and im just wondering if I do let the hen hatch the chicks herself could this effect the hatch rate? or her broody-ness?

I'm just wondering if I should wait till I get a incubator set up before I even try hatching some chicks, of If I should risk it and see if she sets herslef. I'll probably head outside later today to mark each egg so I can check if they are being turned.

 

[Zip]

*Bump

 

[heritagebirds]

If a hen goes broody, I'd let her go. Catching the chicks might be hard unless you can put her in a separate pen that the chickes can't get out of and take her out after they hatch... Just an idea

 

[Zip]

I'm just worried she won't go broody, expecialy after the close encounter with that cat and losing then hen she was with from the day she hatched. And Im not sure if I should risk loosing the eggs that I leave with her if she dosn't end up broody.
I kinda want to incubate the eggs just because I want the chicks to be hand tamed unlike her and the Roo.