Sallygarden Smallholding - The Forum For Sustainable Living

Hello
I have been browsing through back subjects. I came across broodey hen v incubator. We have recently had a Marran go broody and sucessfully hatch 4 chicks from other hens eggs. We intended to expand the flock with more Marans so bought some chicks to 'slip' under her. Unfortunatly she was not having anything to do with that. So she rejected the two black Marrans and her own black chick, which was the last to hatch. The rest being yellow/brown. So a heat lamp was brought into action. This worked fine but the little black one has since gone.
I have noticed a distinct difference in the two sets of chicks. The Marrans on the lamp have grown quicker and look like young chickens quite quickley. Brooded chicks are a lot smaller and still look like chicks. However, the big difference is the way they act. Both sets can free range. The brooded chicks can scratch and catch, and will integrate well with the rest of the flock. Lamp chicks will avoid interaction and dont seem overly keen on fending for them selfs. Scrounging before scratching. Relying on the feed given.
We were going to invest in an incubator to breed pure poultry. However, I am now conviced the broody way is the better way. The pros and cons of each as I see it are.
Incubator. Predictable (switch it on!) Costs about 15c a day to run. Heat lamp after that costs dear!
Broody. Unpradictable. 2c a day on feed/water. Slower growing chicks. But better flock intergration and foraging skills.
So I think a couple of brooders wil be the order of the day. Has any one got advice on 'good uns'. Silkys are not realy suitable for us as the ground can get a bit muddy.
Cheers
Diz

Someone told me once that incubated chicks will never sit on eggs, that the clocking gene is effectively bred out. Some may try with limited or no success rate. Anybody know anything about this from experience?

Morgan

We have a hen sitting on eggs for the last two weeks and I would assume she herself was incubated, as she is just an ordinary hybred hen bought from a hatchery.
So I can definitely disprove that theory .
Whether or not we have any sucess with the eggs or not we will know on Friday, but she is sitting tight.

Hi there,
we've raised chicks both ways, I prefer the broody method for ease, no smelly cleaning out of boxes and happy chicks. Some of our incubated hens have gone broody.
You can get silky cross hens which have the strong broody instinct but with 'normal' feathers. Ours just hatched 8 out of 9 ducks eggs and is gone broody again.
Our only drawback with the broody method was we had a hawk visit repeatedly one year and we ended up having to keep the chicks indoors till they were too heavy for the hawk to lift!

We have just had 10 chicks hatch from under two hens. One from the previously mentioned Maran and a cross. Having watched them for the last 3 days, I am now convinsed the way forward for us is the broody hen. I think it will be slower to get where we want to. But i have the patience.
We also have a resident pair of Sparrow Hawks. Its great to see them hunt, but.....................
Thanks for the thoughts and replys
Diz