Why incubate?

[luvsmychicks]

We just had a wonderful experience with the hen hatching her chick! Why not just do it naturally always? What an amazing thing to watch the hen communicate with her chicks and watch her take care of them. The natural way is so amazing.

I just keep reading so many things about problems with incubators and I wonder, why not let the chicken do it?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

How many chicks did your hen hatch out?

That's why folks use artificial incubation.

Broodies are wonderful. IF you have a good one. IF you have enough of them to meet your chick needs WHEN you need them to set.

Artificial incubation goes all the way back to the ancient Eqyptians because counting on broodies to hatch out large numbers of chicks when you want them is a chancy business. Also the hen that is setting a clutch of eggs is not laying and won't be until she's finished brooding her chicks.

If you have a good one and you only need a few chicks whenever she feels like setting they are a good way to go. If you need more than that and on your schedule instead of hers then it's to the incubator you must go.

.....Alan.

 

[RhodeRunner]

I agree, there is nothing better then a hen raising chicks. And if any of my hens brood, they are left to do so. I love watching them run around the yard together, and the chicks are much happier, and hardier in my opinion. However, hens are even more unpredictable then incubators, they brood when they want to. And when one is interested in having more chicks (even more so if they want well-bred poultry, as often one does this through fertile hatching eggs being shipped) then an incubator is very useful.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

You dont get to choose when a hen decides to set. You also cant get her to hatch any more than her but will cover.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Quote:
I agree. If I could just put eggs out in the barn and say "Sit on these for the next 21 days" that would be awesome, but my hens would just look at me and say "You sit on them"

 

[redux]

Quote:
I agree. If I could just put eggs out in the barn and say "Sit on these for the next 21 days" that would be awesome, but my hens would just look at me and say "You sit on them"

 

[cindyschicks]

Right now, I have a broody OEGB that sat on two eggs and hatched them out the day after St. Patty's day. On St. Patty's day I picked up my chick order from Farm and Fleet, 2 ducklings (of which I have no ducks to hatch out), 5 Polish and 5 (plus a bonus 1) Jersey giants. So, of all of the chicks, without an incubator I would have two. I love watching momma and Boo and Kai in their run. I worry about them constantly because the weather has just been your typical moody Chicago spring, and they are growing big and strong and healthy. So are the ones from Farm and Fleet.

NOW, I have 18 eggs in the brooder with another 12 chicken and 4 goose going in tonight. I don't have any geese so there is no way I could have watched natures miracle, but now I can give nature a hand and watch it from the comfort of my library!

I love my broody hens, but of my 35 chickens, I only have 2 broodies. They could never hatch out all the different eggs I want to have hatch. I will let my broodies hatch eggs maybe once a year, but I don't want them to stress themselves either. I love them too much.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

This is always good....spend $50 on eggs, put them under a broody hen, she decides she has better things to do....lose $50. My incubator is reliable! My broody can be fickle!

 

[PhilErvin]

If you have kids you can't beat the hatching experience. My son is a macho

16 year old and he really got into it.

 

[luvsmychicks]

yeah I can see how if you want a lot of chickens that is the way to go. We bought a few almost egg-mature chickens, luckily 2 are Cochins, the broodiest hens ever, and the best mothers. We pay nothing for eggs, and if it works it works

We don't have an "operation" or anything. Just a "backyard chicken play pen"