Where Do You Stand With Incubation?

[perchie.girl]

Ideally Broody hen... but situations are different especially with breeds that dont go broody.

IN my case I will be incubating Guinea Fowl.... and brooding with a heating pad set up for brooding chicks. Guinea fowl are notorious for being bad mothers...

Problem with Broody hens is you just cant ask em to be broody you have to wait till they go broody.

My plan once I get an egg laying flock going is to use Broody hens from breeds that tend to go broody alot... Bantam hens come to mind. I love Sumatras and they go broody quite often.

So I think as a small flock owner its best to be flexible.

deb

 

[The Angry Hen]

Yes, well put @Ol Grey Mare.
Each has their place, but nothing like watching a mother hen teach her chicks!

-The Angry Hen

 

[The Angry Hen]

Ideally Broody hen... but situations are different especially with breeds that dont go broody.

IN my case I will be incubating Guinea Fowl.... and brooding with a heating pad set up for brooding chicks. Guinea fowl are notorious for being bad mothers...

Problem with Broody hens is you just cant ask em to be broody you have to wait till they go broody.

My plan once I get an egg laying flock going is to use Broody hens from breeds that tend to go broody alot... Bantam hens come to mind. I love Sumatras and they go broody quite often.

So I think as a small flock owner its best to be flexible.

deb

Yes, I never had a broody Guinea hen.
It is good to fluctuate between both brood and incubation.

Sumatra's are beautiful birds,
good choice!

-The Angry Hen

 

[Molpet]

I do both... my hens seem to go broody june and later.. I give each a dz eggs... but I also start the incubator in march so I have something to eat by aug...now if I could get a hen to go broody earlier, I would skip the incubator

 

[The Angry Hen]

Hello,

Thank you for responding!
It is healthy to do both, good idea.

-The Angry Hen

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Wow.. So much to reply and my break from my chores is almost over so I will try to sum it up short as possible.
THIS IS WHAT WE DO AND CHOOSE TO DO. NOT RECOMMENDING or PREACHING.
We breed for financial gain. Using Broody hens can't fill our demand.
We Use Hens but mostly Incubators.
We run 3 Little Giants. Hatch days are about 10 days spaced. Every bator starts with about 50 eggs.
After candle, left with 30 to 40 fertile live eggs.
We collect eggs from rooster exposed hens in 3 separate breeding houses from 3 different breeds.. As well as some total free range whom return to the same nest daily.
All eggs are collected daily and stored at a tilt in a Styrofoam cooler with a fresh blue ice pack swapped every morning. Tilt the cartons in opposite direction here and there to prevent sticking. A thermometer reads from 55° to 60°.
In Ten to twelve days it will reserve about 60 to 70 eggs.
They get placed into the incubator when the bator is cleaned out and sterilized and ready.
The balance of eggs go out to my Human Consumption Egg House where we have about 45 hens. 3 are consistently broody. We label the eggs of course and place them under our Broody Girls.
The Broody Girls about stopped laying eggs completely so they now have a job.
Our controlled environment hatch rate is always higher mathematical speaking. Not because more eggs at a time but Because being in a controlled environment. The math equation is used separately on both methods.

As far as power outage's.. We use a quality battery back up made for computers or sensitive electronic equipment. Sometimes at 3 am when a drunk or a tree interrupts our power feed, a high pitched tone admits, giving you piece of mind knowing the house is blacked out but your eggs are cozey.

Today is hatch day..(again).. Our brooders are full and all of our expenses are paid for from larger yields using Incubators.
Its what we do.. To each their own.
Wonderful thread BTW..
Thanks for this opportunity to share!
Bye bye for now from rainny Florida!

 

[The Angry Hen]

Hello,

You sound pretty busy!
Very good ideas!

And congratulations with today being hatch day!
I wish you ht best of luck hatching great chickens!

Thank you very much,
I am glad you like this thread!

Thank you for sharing your information @Farmer Connie,
it is a pleasure to hear your thoughts!

Have a great summer!
-The Angry Hen (K)

 

[melle1980]

I have never hatched eggs in an incubator when I order chicks from hatcheries I know they use them. I have buff orpingtons and two of them are broody. Mama Hen just hatched her first clutch of eggs and they are almost 5 weeks old. They follow her everywhere and she takes such good care of them. Nana Hen is another broody buff the same age as Mama but she hasn't hatched yet but I will be giving her a clutch once mama is done doing her thing. Two of the chicks needed help breaking out of their shells and mama did what I would have to learn through trial and error. I love my brooders ;-)

Hello Everybody,

I have been thinking (uh oh, hide! I am thinking!)...
Me, myself prefers broody hens to hatch eggs. Incubation has two types, natural (broody) or electric. I have nothing *nothing at all* against electric incubators. In fact, I have electric incubated!

But here are some simple reasons why I have supported broody hens...

*If the power runs out, you will have warm eggs...Unless the hen runs out...
Ha ha. The pullets born under a hen...In my mind... Have more broody instincts.

(Yes, I have had incubated broody hens... But I notice a differences.)
It is purely amazing to watch a mother hen and her chicks.

A broody hen will protect the baby more than a light bulb.*

So, etc. like I said, I have nothing against electric incubation,
I just prefer broody hens.

I do not know if this is even God knows possible, but in twenty years if hatcheries and egg factories all incubate eggs, hens might no longer have a broody mother instinct.

I am creating this topic to see what you all think.
What do you prefer and why? What do you support or like?

Do you agree with me? Thank you for viewing,
if you visit, please vote on the poll.

Thank you,
The Angry Hen

 

[The Angry Hen]

Congratulations! I am glad it was a successful hatch!
Thank you very much for responding, I feel the same way.

-The Angry Hen (K)

 

[Hybridchucks]

i like both.....but i think i prefer broodies coz its natural if you know what i mean....