Using incubator or broody hen??

[UrbanChickFarm]

Has anyone hatched chicks with an incubator and also a broody hen. Did you notice a difference with your chicks? I keep reading if you let the hen raise the chicks they are more skittish. I have eggs arriving soon and a broody hen currently. My chickens have always been tame and love people. I also bought an incubator just in case. Any advice with hatching eggs? First timer here! I could let my hen hatch them and then I could raise the chicks inside. Is that mean to take from the mama?

Also if I use my broody hen she’s in a higher nesting box currently so I think I need to move her. I have two options a shallow bin or this black larger bin turned on it’s side. Is one better than the other?I’ll fill either one with bedding. Should I move her at night and slip the new eggs under her?

 

[DobieLover]

Is that mean to take from the mama?

I think it is. She desperately wants to be a mother and you take the chicks as soon as they hatch after she spent 3 weeks setting the eggs??

Also if I use my broody hen she’s in a higher nesting box currently so I think I need to move her.

You have to graft her to the new nest site. You can read how I go about this in this article.
That is one tiny coop. Do you have any room for more chickens?

I have purchased day old chicks (the equivalent to raising chicks hatched from an incubator) twice. But now I only let broodies hatch. I'd never do it any other way.
Yes, the chicks will have nothing to do with you until they are weaned and form a sub-flock. Then I find they start to come to me regularly. I don't see a difference in aloofness between the adult chickens I raised as chicks vs. the now adult broody raised chicks.

 

[Ponypoor]

Has anyone hatched chicks with an incubator and also a broody hen. Did you notice a difference with your chicks? I keep reading if you let the hen raise the chicks they are more skittish. I have eggs arriving soon and a broody hen currently. My chickens have always been tame and love people. I also bought an incubator just in case. Any advice with hatching eggs? First timer here! I could let my hen hatch them and then I could raise the chicks inside. Is that mean to take from the mama?

Also if I use my broody hen she’s in a higher nesting box currently so I think I need to move her. I have two options a shallow bin or this black larger bin turned on it’s side. Is one better than the other?I’ll fill either one with bedding. Should I move her at night and slip the new eggs under her?


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My nest box is a bit higher than yours for my wee silkie but think it should be fine, this is my first time with a hen hatching eggs, and the hen's first time also so we are all learning here.

My suggestion is just be patient it looks like a lovely setup there, sit tight and leave mama hen be; that is what I am going to do (scary but I have learnt from my horses that ever first time mamas figure it out).

Good luck and hopefully you will have some chicklets in a few weeks.

 

[yakitori]

I prefer to let my broody raise the chicks. It’s so much less work!

I keep reading if you let the hen raise the chicks they are more skittish.

It depends on how tame you want your chickens to be. I think they more or less mellow out as adults anyway. I haven’t found my broody chicks to be any less or more skittish than my brooder chicks. I am however, a pretty hands off person when it comes to raising chicks. Sometimes I’ll play with them for a bit every day, but most of the time my interactions are limited to giving them fresh food and water.

 

[Iluveggers]

How many eggs are you getting? You could always give her a handful and put a handful in the incubator to raise indoors. Then you’ll see how both work and be able to decide if you buy hatching eggs in the future. I am very “hands on” with new chicks, so I loooove putting in the effort with them, but if I had a broody I’d probably give her a shot with a few eggs just to see which I liked better!