Here is my dilemma:
Should I get a small flock of Nankins, or purchase an incubator? (I would like to hatch duck and chicken eggs.)
So far, my thoughts are that if I got Nankins, (I'm thinking 6 or 8 hens and a rooster) they would have their own small coop and would have occasional access to the yard. Everything I have heard about these ladies leads me to believe they are devoted mothers. My plan is that they could hatch out a few batches of eggs from my full-size chickens or my ducks each year, and they could also raise them for me (I find brooders frustrating.)
Or, is this plan doomed for disaster and I am much better off just purchasing an incubator and raising a big batch of chicks all at once? We have plenty of room for chickens, so that won't be an issue.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
Should I get a small flock of Nankins, or purchase an incubator? (I would like to hatch duck and chicken eggs.)
So far, my thoughts are that if I got Nankins, (I'm thinking 6 or 8 hens and a rooster) they would have their own small coop and would have occasional access to the yard. Everything I have heard about these ladies leads me to believe they are devoted mothers. My plan is that they could hatch out a few batches of eggs from my full-size chickens or my ducks each year, and they could also raise them for me (I find brooders frustrating.)
Or, is this plan doomed for disaster and I am much better off just purchasing an incubator and raising a big batch of chicks all at once? We have plenty of room for chickens, so that won't be an issue.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
