Thoughts on incubators versus broodies

[Bubblingbrooks]

My experience has shown that we tend to get 100% hatches from broodies, and with artificial incubating, we get very poor results.
The ducks hatched at less then 10%, and the chicks have shown to be way under 50%. Still have a few more to go, but I am not holding my breath.
And those poor chickies! I have never heard such crying! I put all the hatched ones under a broody this morning, and silence reigned! They were so happy to be under her!

FYI, I was very careful with the incubator. Temps and humidity were what they are supposed to be!

 

[freemotion]

I would go broody hen all the way if I could have more broodies. My hatch was around 50% for my first try. Yes, I am ok with that, I'm sure there is a learning curve.....like have a separate hatching unit! Boy, that thing got stinky, and no way was I leaving all those chicks in there. I'd like a bigger, homemade hatcher.

And I just got a broody, finally! I just came in from chores and I crawled into the buck box in the dark to collect a couple of eggs I saw earlier....he NEVER breaks the eggs! And I got pecked soundly in the dark for my efforts....the hen was on five eggs. Tomorrow, if she is still there, I will find a better spot for her and stuff all of tomorrow's eggs under her.

I'll do the same if anyone else volunteers, too. Can't have too many chicks! I'll sell the incubator ones in favor of the broody ones. They do better at free-ranging.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Taking your word for it, but sounds to me like either your temp or humidity was off. My bator hatches , while I have had a few bad ones, it was due to my error. Most of my hatches are 80% and above. While I love broodies, they are not reliable, --I have a duck sitting on fake eggs right now, since my drake just came into season, so both hens have been laying infertile eggs. (so far) And my chickies don't cry --just when they are separated from the rest of the group. I also use my bator for quail all summer long. I love my bator. I love broodies too, but sometimes their cycle doesn;tcorrespond with mine.

Oh, and my ducks last year--I had four hens and two drakes. Each duck went broody 4 separate times--so 16 broods. Only one duckling hatched, and it died. My drakes were potent too. I had decided to get rid of the ducks, I was not going to try them again, I kept tow hens for eggs, but I got talked into another drake, but if my ducks do not produce for me this year, they are gone. Regardless, I will be putting some in the bator, but they will also get the opportuntiy to set. If they fail again this year, they are gone-- i cant handle the broody poop if I am not getting ducklings.

 

[MorelCabin]

I have always loved my silkies for brooding...much more reliable than my incubator ever was.... a much much better hatch rate and happier chicks. They were meant to be hatched under thier mommas

 

[patandchickens]

To me it's not either or. It's like canning vs drying vs freezing. Each has its pros and cons, and it is handy to be able to do all of them as needed.

Broodies are great WHEN you have them at the right moment and IF they are responsible. But you can't just wake up one morning and say Ha, I Shall Order Some Hatching Eggs, or Well THis Is The Time Of Year I'd Better Start Some Turkeys If I Want 'Em For Thanksgiving. And it really sucks, let me tell you, to lose almost a whole clutch because the genius hen who had sat on them with such maternal dedication for three weeks decides that she likes the tasty snacks that are hatching out underneath her.

In fact, in the last-mentioned case, I rescued the last coupla eggs and put them INTO the incubator to hatch, thus getting at least a few chicks out of that bunch

(e.t.a. -- also, it occurred to me just now reflecting on a problem I am mildly having at the moment, there is a very fine line between hens not going broody enough and hens TOO broody, the latter resulting in reduced egg production and either having to spend a bunch of time trying to deprogram them or watching them waste away to nothing)

So I would vote for "both if possible, to be used as circumstances require"

Pat

 

[TanksHill]

I don't have an incubator. I have only ever done a Broody hatch. With mixed results.

 

[justusnak]

I guess like everything in life...there are pro's and cons. Take turkeys......if I hatch them in an incubator..I can tame them to be handled easily. However, if momma hatches them...LOOK OUT!!! She will attack you like a rageing bull!! ( been there done that ONCE) and the poults are not tame enough to handle at selling time.
Now, the same goes with chickens...if you are hatching to sell...the bator is the way to go. Easier to handle at selling time. I DO have a BO hen sitting on 5 or so turkey eggs at the moment...and another BO setting on 2 turkey eggs and 1 chicken egg ( someone slipped it in with her) I have turkeys hatching as I type, in my bator..and they will be sooo much easier to handle, because I am "momma" I have an old...brower top hatch bator. I have to say...I get about 90 to 100 % hatch, every time! However, being "momma" I have the duties of careing for them as well. Haveing a broody is great if you dont want to mess with heat lamps, filling feeders and waters, cleaning brooders...etc. And, Momma will teach them to forage better than I can.

 

[mandieg4]

After just cleaning up a "leaky" egg that was in the incubator I can only hope that one day I'll get a broody and won't have to use my incubator. In the 5 years I've had chickens I've yet to have one go broody. I'm hoping that a couple of the bantams I bought my son last month will go broody next year for me.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I've always used a broody hen and it has gone well for me. I was given an incubator last year and I just loaded it with a whole lot of eggs.
With the broody hen, I like that I don't have to do much.

With the incubator I like that I decide when to incubate and raise chicks. I don't even care if I only get 1/2 half a hatch. Although my nighbor only lost one last year.

 

[big brown horse]

Broody hen lover here...that is what my token buff o is for. I don't even count her as an egg layer. I hate raising baby chicks! I LOVE to watch a mother with her chicks. I feel sorry for motherless chicks...I know I'm projecting, but still.

Anyway, my broody "Peaches" is sitting on top of 6 duck eggs right now which are due to hatch on the 28th. YEA!