Uncubation versus Brooding observation and ?

[PaulaJoAnne]

I want to know if anyone else has noticed the following.

2 months ago, we had 8 chicks hatch under a broody.
Two weeks after this, we had a little over 2 dozen chicks hatched for us by a friend in an incubator.
This hatching was given to a broody hen to care for, for the first few weeks.

All the chicks have enjoyed excellent health, and good organic feeds and treats and grit as appropriate.

However, we have seen an intersting disparity between these hatchings.

The ones that the broody sat on, are considerably advanced in size and development, compared to the incubated ones.
I am taking into account the age difference here. I am looking at calendar ages. Where each set was at at 2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc.

I have a theory on this, but I would first like to hear from you all as to what you think is going on.

 

[BeccaOH]

I know the ones my broody raised last year grew fast and strong. I have not done the side-by-side comparison, though. But

I have eggs under a broody and some in the incubator hatching this week. I may give the hen a couple that are from the incubator. She is a great broody and could probably raise the full 2 dozen I hope to have hatch. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Daidohead]

I have always figured that although we try and copy nature, there are pages ( if not chapters ) in natures playbook that we haven't read yet. Just because we can get a 100% hatch rate doesn't mean we should. I have no experience with a broody, but I would bet that naturally hatched chicks may have a higher motality rate but would be stronger and progress faster than incubated chicks. JMHO

 

[A.T. Hagan]

All other considerations being equal a hen raised chick is always going to be better.

But all other considerations are seldom equal in that trying to produce more than a handful of chicks at a time with broodies has always been problematic. Which is why man has been doing artificial incubation of chicks going all the way back to the ancient Egyptians.

.....Alan.