Topic of the Week - Broody vs Incubator

[The crazy Poultry hoarder]

For me it depends on the bird. chickens I prefer broodys but for ducks I prefer incubator because alot of the time they end up killing them somehow but if I already have eggs in the incubator I would let ducks sit It really depends on the bird but that's just my opinion

 

[DAjuanBird]

Broody is the way to go no deformed chick's. And I've had exceptional number with hatching. The more times a hens hatches babies she gets better at it. If you have a hen at 60% her first clutch she gets better and better. The nest boxes have alot to do with it also....

 

[Debbie292d]

I used to allow our silkies to hatch the eggs, but three times they abandoned their chicks anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks, just to go back to being broody.

The chicks would try to go back under mom and she'd peck them as if she didn't know them. They couldn't be in the coop as without the mother hen to protect them, the other chickens pecked them. We wound up building a brooder and keeping them in the house at night. We'd let them free-range together during the day since they had that down well but just weren't allowed to go in the coop at night.

After the third frustrating time this happened, I bought an incubator and never let them set on eggs again. If I have to raise their chicks, then I may as well from the start so they'll be friendly to me.

 

[Gavinthechickenman]

A broody hen is the best you can give her whatever eggs you want her to sit on . It’s also a way better prosess and it’s natural the he does all the work and it’s a lot more fun!

 

[mamasteg]

Personally I have been amazed at the awesome mamas my broody hens are, when I give them hatchlings. I have a small flock of 8, and ordering hatchlings is the easiest way to keep the numbers stable, and have a variety of breeds (all docile). As you can’t order just one, I usually get four then give 2 or 3 to friends. This year I gave my cuckoo Marans Gloria 4 cream legbars. Two weeks in, I found her chasing my Buff around in a rage (not unusual behavior for Gloria - she is cranky). That night, checking on them during a storm, I found all four babies stuffed under the pair of hens in a nest. A surplus of mothering. At this point Gloria has let go (they are 8 weeks), but my sweet Buff loves teenagers. They have all been roosting for a couple of weeks, but she still manages to talk one into sleeping under her in a nest.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Both. lol
My goose is on her nest
My duck eggs are in incubator