Why incubate when broody hens will do it for you?

[amosygal]

I tried broody hens for 2 years and my flock only grew from 3 to 6 to 8 over the first two year, now I have a bator and tens of hens. They just didn't seem to do the work, the other hens would always bother the broody hen or lay new eggs with the incubated ones or even eat the eggs once the broody hen got up to eat. Seperating the broody hen from the rest always caused me trouble.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I use my broody hens and ended up selling my incubator. This way I keep the numbers down. The extras are either sold or given away.

 

[johnsons-r-us]

I want to use a broody.....this is my first year so we'll see if I get one! Otherwise a bator would be just for convenience, in case I have no broodies.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

I sell chicks/pullets to pay for my hobby. I also sell eating eggs. I now have my flock down to 67 chickens for winter. They eat a lot! I purchased a ton of food in september for $430, all paid for by my birds. I going to be purchasing another half ton this week.
Reasons I use incubators over broodys:
A broody hen cannot hatch out 25+ chicks my incubators can with 90%+ hatch rate.
A broody hen like already mentioned is unreliable. I've lost many chicks to them offten deciding motherhood isn't for them after hatching out chicks. I've also had excellent mothers and I love seeing them run around with the chicks.
broody hens don't appreciate it when you take away chicks from them to sell. I haven't done this but I've seen it done and it ticks them off

I need my pure breed hens to lay eggs not go broody. Although this is a battle I lost this year and ended up just letting them hatch out chicks.
Broody hens almost need a place away from the coop to raise chicks. Which I don't have right now. Although One of my BLRW raised a batch in the coop with compleat success. All my other broodys this year where not as good as her though.
I've don't both broody/incubator and the incubator is much more reliable.
Just my opinion.

 

[karlamaria]

my chicken is in constant brood, I can get her out of it after several days, but then she is right back at it a few days later.. Im thinking she is going to be a great mommy. Im going to get 12 eggs for her to hatch out come February so if only a few hatch that will be fine, im a back yard enthusiast so do not need more then 6 more chickens as there going to the new coop at moms. I do plan to get a new coop for the older girls, and keep mom and the eggs in the coop I have now when the time comes to let her have those eggs. Im thrilled to know several ladies in montana that have the birds I want and will sell me the fertilized eggs to go under neath her.

 

[chicken farmer 1997]

bc i dont have any broody hens

 

[Arielle]

I've had 2 broodies hatch eggs and then I move the chicks to a brooder and the hen goes back to doing the flack thing; and I've hatched a few in the incubator. While hens still hatch better than me, I'm still learning, at least in the incubator the chicks don't pick up lice from the mother. Yuck. No more broodies. If I can help it!

Hens often do there own thing.

 

[Americana]

I don't have an incubator! That's why I use my broodies.

Sometimes( if they are show bird eggs) I take the eggs after they have pipped, are hatching, or have hatched and brood them inside.

The broody doesn't care- she doesn't think like us, she just knows they are gone and rejoins the flock.

Sometimes, I let her hatch and keep the chicks because I have a coop empty and ready for her and babies.

I have a very high hatch rate with my broodies!

With a broody you can give her eggs and walk away.

This is my latest broody hatch. Diva, my Showgirl hatched 9 out of 12 shipped Bantam Phoenix eggd on Thursday, Dec 8

 

[heritagebirds]

Quote:
I'd love some hardcore broodies...running the incubator and hatcher does eat up some electric. Maybe I'll have a few volunteer mommas this year, but I'll be using the 'bator as well!

 

[karlamaria]

Quote:
Mine do not have lice lol, but I live in one of the 10 coldest parts of the USA lol. No vermin here ummm yet any ways