is non-technologic hatching possible?

[Tanichca]

hey everyone
has anyone ever gotten any hatches with no technology whatsoever?
no light-bulbs or incubators, just a momma hen?
-Tanichca

 

[ChickenCat]

Of course!! There's many momma hens on the board.

just keep looking through the raising chicks section or do a search for broody or momma hens. My pullets aren't old enough yet, but guarantee that is the only way they'll be done here.

 

[Roosteroops]

Yes, and it is so much easier than the incubator/ brooder mess. I don't know how to get a hen to go broody, but once they do - hatching and caring for the chicks is as easy as..... watching the momma hen do it all! And it is fascinating to see how she cares for them and teaches them and then how she introduces them to the flock. I highly recommend it.

 

[R@ndy]

Quote:
Mother Nature is always best, cant wait to get a few broody hens

 

[AnniesEggFarm]

Certain breeds are more broody than others... The ones that come to mind for me are silkies and cochins...... I have tophats, OEGB, RIR, Barred Rocks and EE..... None of mine have ever gone broody, but I am working on introducing some silkies and cochins into my flock to remedy that.... Anyone else know of any other breeds that are shoe in's for broodiness???

Jenn

 

[Portia]

Certainly, that is the only type of incubator I currently use. I have a hen with 3 chicks, one sitting on another 10 eggs, and another incubating 10 turkey eggs. Wouldn't have it any other way...the hens do the whole thing, warming, turning and when they hatch they raise them and show them the ropes. Only thing I have to do is help the chicks figure out how to get into the coop for the first week or so.

Jenn, my broodies are a speckled sussex (broody little ladies that make great mamas), black australorps (great broodies but after about a week they are done mothering the chicks), one of my Welsummers (great broody and mama), and one of my mixes (SLWxWelsummer) who is only 5 months old.

 

[walkswithdog]

I've got both. I like both. Broodies are well, chickens. Don't think just because it's natural that it's flawless, some break eggs, botch hatches, eat or kill chicks, take them out too soon and lose them to 'nature'.

While nothing beats a great broody, I happen to like the total pet nature of what I hatch indoors. If momma raises them frequently they aren't as attached to people. They're much harder to make pets out of. And I LIKE my chickens really tame and my turkeys, for that matter.

I have two broodies going now, and two incubators going now. If anything happened to the broodies - if they quit, give up, kick out eggs, get eaten or killed or die, I can incubate them myself.

Both ways have value. Once these are better at it in fall I'll give them "good" eggs like my turkeys to incubate. But this batch of broodies is new at it, they'll make mistakes in all likelihood.

I like having both available.

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Wise people always like to have OPTIONS !

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
That's how hens get to be mommas, they hatch some eggs. Any species that lays eggs would have to be able to hatch them somehow, wouldn't they? Otherwise, there wouldn't be any more of them to lay the eggs in the first place.

Once upon a time there were no incubators. An incubator is just a way to hatch eggs by mimicking nature-which would be a momma hen.

Have you seen pictures of hens with chicks? When a hen has chicks with her, it's usually because she hatched them.

 

[walkswithdog]

Heck, today when the power went out for four hours - scaring the snot out of me, a pair of broody hens were my back up incubators if they didn't get it back on within a safe period. Pays to have both, it does.

Thing about an incubator though, pays to know how to use one when you need one.

Stuffing eggs under an already broody hen is lots simpler rescue device lol.