Topic of the Week - Broody vs Incubator

[GldnValleyHens]

My incubator stinks, so perhaps a broody is best. But I don't have one at the moment. Any tips to help my BO go broody again?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Broody or bator?

Depends on the broody, depends on the bator... and also depends on why you are hatching them...

Nothing beats a professional broody, but only she knows when she will sit to hatch... and not all broodys are created equal, lol...

But same can be said about bators... a rock solid bator is priceless... and if you are hatching to sell or have orders to fill, it's the way to go...

 

[Smr]

I like the fact that it is not so clear cut. I think I will try both. My father in law gave me an incubator for Christmas, so I will start there and try a broody when the opportunity presents itself.

I have only used incubators and enjoyed monitoring the eggs. Last week one of my hens went broody. This is my fist broody hen experience. I put 10 eggs under her two days ago. I'm very excited to see how this plays out. All the posts have been very helpful.

 

[red horse ranch]

My incubator stinks, so perhaps a broody is best. But I don't have one at the moment. Any tips to help my BO go broody again?

Your incubator stinks??? Do you mean it actually smells or just doesn't operate properly? There are remedies for both problems.

 

[EveCh]

Just learning incubators. I've pretty much always used hens BUT I'm just enjoying a backyard flock not raising specialty/orders. That being said broodies can be aggravating. With the new coop last fall comes new specially built hatching/brooding nest/pens this year. When I have a broodie I let her sit a couple days in whatever box she chooses with golf balls while I select the eggs I'm going to set her with. Once I know she's not going to quit, after dark I move her and the golf balls to a private place. This used to be a dog crate in the barn b/c the old coop was not big enough. It was 50/50 if she was ok being 'away' from everyone. The new private places will be wire enclosed about 3x2. They will have slide out boards under for clean up, one end is a 3 sided box, the other is open for leg stretching/eating. I'm excited to get these built as soon as the weather warms up for outside projects.

 

[WildWyandott110]

I'd prefer a broody hen above all. I've tried incubators, and I just don't get the same results I do with the hen.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Your incubator stinks??? Do you mean it actually smells or just doesn't operate properly? There are remedies for both problems.

It is a cheap, ( cheep, no pun intended) crappy incubator that COULD work if I had a humidity thermometer, but it is a really simple one that only holds a small amount of eggs. I think a broody would be easier, and more successful. Though I did love candling all the eggs last time, it was so cool. None of them hatched however

 

[Ravynscroft]

It is a cheap, ( cheep, no pun intended) crappy incubator that COULD work if I had a humidity thermometer, but it is a really simple one that only holds a small amount of eggs. I think a broody would be easier, and more successful. Though I did love candling all the eggs last time, it was so cool. None of them hatched however

There isn't a way to induce a broody to brood until she is good and ready, unfortunately... if you really want to set eggs, best to invest in a more reliable bator... Hovabator 1602N is the cheapest of the usually reliables, and the Hovabator Genesis 1588 is the best bang for your buck in the cheaper and very reliable ones...

 

[K813ZRA]

I can't say I have much experience in this area as I have never hatched chicks in an incubator nor have I let a hen do it as roosters tend to end up in the fryer around here. However I can say that I let my ducks hatch out some eggs last summer. It was fun and interesting but I had to take the ducklings away because that silly pair of ducks, yes, two mothers on one nest...were too busy worrying about who was the mother that they always let the ducklings wonder away and I had to catch them and put them in a brooder before they all became hawk food. I lost three before doing this.

I can say it was odd. One mother sitting on the nest was a Blue Swedish and oddly enough the other was a Pekin. They both tried to sit on the same nest and were nasty to one another. After the ducklings hatched the Blue was none to friendly to people but the Pekin kind of lost interest. It only took a few days for the blue to follow suit and then it was up to me. Never again will I let these silly ducks set eggs. Then again, I don't want any more ducks as they eat me out of house and home!

Now, having said all of that I think I might prefer let the chickens hatch their own eggs but I would probably have an area separated off for just her and the chicks. Why, simple because it is cool to watch the little chicks run around in the open rather than in a brooder. Yeah, I am simple like that.

 

[EveCh]

When I had muscovies, they were great mothers and went broody pretty consistently each year. But man are they messy without the right set-up.