Natural Incubation

[KOTurkeyRanch]

I finally have a broody hen. She is a bronze sitting on 9 eggs, possibly resulting with all of some bronze, red bronze, and golden narragansett. What have you guys had when you let a hen do it compared to incubating them yourself? (Higher hatch rate, lower, about the same? Ever have splayed legs occur in a hen-hatched poult?)

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

The hatch is about the same but with a hen raising the poults you will loose some. They always seem to step on some and some get lost. I think a hen raised poult is more healthy and stronger than an incubated. "only the strong survive" For our breeding stock we try to have all hen raised.

Steve

 

[poultryfan73]

Quote:
Well if they are anything like a broody chicken then we will be fine! I have a blue slate hen thats been on the nest for about 4 days now.

 

[ziggywiggy]

I've had good luck letting hens raise their brood. What works for me is to get them isolated after the hatch into their own pen. I have a 8x8x6 pen I transfer them into as soon as possible after the hatch and during the hatch give them as much privacy as possible. That seems to be the key for me. If there is a lot of activity, they will step on the newly hatched poults because they're nervous. Some hens are better mothers than others also. Turkeys will keep laying after they start setting so it's a good idea to time the hatch and have an incubator handy. I have a hen setting now who started out with 12 eggs 5 days ago and now has 14.

 

[houndit]

My hens have always hatched them pretty good. I take them away when they hatch. My problem is getting the turkey to quit setting after they hatch.