Incubator vs Broody - Results

[ZuniBee]

Broody Wins hands down.....

My hatch is complete. I started incubating two days before one of my RIR's went broody. I decided to let her sit on 9 eggs. I had 31 eggs in the bator of which 21 were shipped eggs.

At Candle
Incubator - 31 set - 25 growing
Broody - 9 set - 9 growing

Hatch
Incubator - 25 growing - 9 hatched = 36%
Broody - 9 growing - 9 hatched = 100%

If I take the shipped eggs out of the equation and use only eggs from my hens I get the following:

At Candle
Incubator - 10 set - 9 growing
Broody - 9 set - 9 growing

Hatch
Incubator - 9 growing - 5 hatched = 56%
Broody - 9 growing - 9 hatched = 100%

My broody kicked butt!

She is now taking care of 18 chicks and every single one can get under her!

 

[MissPrissy]

Mother Nature sure knows her job. Too bad she isn't always so dependable or predictable. LOL

I am itching to hatch!

 

[speckledhen]

I love a broody, Jay. The good thing is that after you get all your more unusual stock built up through shipped eggs, you wont have to rely on those so much.
What was the breakdown on what you ended up with from my eggs?

 

[ZuniBee]

I just spent a while sitting out in the coop...got a patio chair set up so I can just sit! Too cool.....

Who knows what shipped eggs go through. Yours were packed extremely well and arrived in great shape. They started growing but it seems like I lost them during the last couple of days..... Out of your eggs I ended up with 2 Ameraucanas, 1 orpington and 1 Barred Rock.

Ameraucanas

orpington

Barred Rock (hopefully my br roo! I noticed tonight he sure stands like one)

 

[speckledhen]

Well, the offer to be my tester in late spring still holds, Jay. I'm still not sure how many Orp pullets I have in the nursery, maybe two or three tops. I think two blacks and maybe, just maybe one blue. The splash is looking like a cockerel-very pink wattles at under five weeks old, darn it.

 

[RepoBob]

Those are sooooo cool. I have 36 eggs in the bator. They are mostly orp. I hope mine are as nice as yours, they are beautiful.
I already broke one of the gates to the pen from leaning on it and watching the birds to much, I'll have to get me a chair.
Your study was very interesting. I would have expected the broody to do better, but no such a large spread. Sorry you lost some

Bob

 

[Picco]

Broodies do best! Unfortunately my only broodies died this past fall. I love the blue chick.

The splash is looking like a cockerel-very pink wattles at under five weeks old, darn it.

Splash roos are good to have around. The way the genetics work you will get 100% blue chicks from black mothers, or even buff mothers so you could really crank out some blue chicks that way.​

 

[speckledhen]

I know, but I dont want to keep up another coop right now or I'd keep him. Oh, well, every single splash I've hatched in three different hatches, different breeders, has been a cockerel. I just wanted a splash pullet.

 

[BamaChicken]

Cute Cute. I love to be able to give a broody the chicks. They really do well when the weather is warm.

 

[jab91864]

Congrats on the hatch and thanks for the break down. No matter what we think we know, hens do it best. Atleast at my house anyway...lol

I brought a broody silkie into the house and she is now caring for the eggs she hatched (in the house she sat the whole 3 wks in the back bedroom) and the incubator babies as well. They can't all get under her so I have a brooding light hooked up.

The incubator chicks are almost a week younger than the chicks she hatched but she guards them all fiercely. It's the first time I've ever used a broody and have to say I am really pleased with the results.

The broody seems content and the chicks are doing great under her care. I love to see the chicks all gather round her and climb on top... still need to take more pics though!!

Julie