incubator verse hens

[countrydream7]

hi all iam new to all of this ..why do people incubate eggs if the hens can do it themselves they have. wouldn't it be easier?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Yes it is much easier to let the hen do it, but if the hatch is very important to you and you have paid a lot of $ for eggs then it is best to incubate and brood them yourself.

I once had a hen who hatched out two chicks and I bought eight more at the feed store to give her. She adopted them successfully but then all but two disappeared. If I had kept them in a brooder they would have been safe.

Also, incubators are handy if the broody hen gives up and leaves the nest. You can scoop the eggs up and put them in the incubator.

I never take chicks away from a hen anymore though. What a sad face I encountered when I did that once. I will never forget it.