Why encourage A hen to go broody? Particularly egg layers.

[Mattl12]

Simple question as in the title. Why encourage them to go broody? Why not just buy an incubator and a battery backup in case you lose power temporarily? Is it just because you can/ curiosity?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Simple question as in the title. Why encourage them to go broody? Why not just buy an incubator and a battery backup in case you lose power temporarily? Is it just because you can/ curiosity?

Because it's neat, and if mama is carrying for them, usually it's less work/better chick survival.

Plus it makes integration far easier, especially with males since the chicks grow up in the flock

 

[nuthatched]

You can't really encourage broodiness, it's a hormone thing. You might be able to give them a slight idea but it ultimately up to the hen. Incubators haven't been readily available to an everyday person until the last 50 years and they are often unreliable or finicky. it's really a self defeating argument, why spend more time, energy, money when a hen would happily do it for you?

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

Because it's neat, and if mama is carrying for them, usually it's less work/better chick survival.

Plus it makes integration far easier, especially with males since the chicks grow up in the flock

I've had two broody hens. One gave up and got off the nest the other one's on the nest now and I finally got some eggs for her to hatch. How long do you think she'll sit on it if she's already been on it for a couple weeks? I just got eggs from a friend that has two roosters and fertile eggs. I am slightly concerned because they felt cool to the touch like they were room temperature are they a bust already?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I always raise chicks from day old but I would like to have a broody do the work for me instead sometime.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I've had two broody hens. One gave up and got off the nest the other one's on the nest now and I finally got some eggs for her to hatch. How long do you think she'll sit on it if she's already been on it for a couple weeks? I just got eggs from a friend that has two roosters and fertile eggs. I am slightly concerned because they felt cool to the touch like they were room temperature are they a bust already?

Eggs don't need to be kept warm until they're being sat on. They just can't be stored cold.

She probably won't last another 3 weeks if she's been setting for 2 already, but she might. Some hens are more time-sensitive than others

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

Eggs don't need to be kept warm until they're being sat on. They just can't be stored cold.

She probably won't last another 3 weeks if she's been setting for 2 already, but she might. Some hens are more time-sensitive than others

If she leaves them can I finish them in the incubator?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If she leaves them can I finish them in the incubator?

If you catch them in time and they aren't chilled

 

[sourland]

If she leaves them can I finish them in the incubator?

Yes. Have a 'PLan B' in mind.

 

[Mattl12]

I always raise chicks from day old but I would like to have a broody do the work for me instead sometime.

I've got three Roos right now, I intended to have two which at some point I intend to breed. Probably going to keep the spare RIR long enough that he can breed the GSLs I bought later who are not mature yet. I'll be going straight to incubator. Initially I had 0 intentions of having roosters but I am thinking protein is going to get more expensive or rare due to A certain closed group trying to crater our food system. As things are right now I'm reasonably certain every egg I've eaten for A few weeks now is fertilized.