For most, incubating and hatching eggs is one of the most enjoyable (and addictive) aspects of chicken keeping. Nothing beats watching those little ones fight their way out of the eggs, after 3 weeks of fretting and fussing and watching the incubator, wondering what is going on in there.
An Incubator, of course, is the most important factor in this process - so we launched the following poll: What Type of Incubator Do You Use?
The results were as follows:
1st Place: Store-Bought Forced Air Incubator (66.2%)
2nd Place: Broody Hen (45.5%)
3rd Place: Store-Bought Still Air Incubator (9.6%)
4th Place: Homemade Forced Air Incubator (6.6%)
5th Place: Homemade Still Air Incubator (3%)
The main difference between a forced-air and a still-air incubator is in the fan. In a forced-air incubator, a fan circulates the air around the incubator which keeps the temperature constant in all parts of the incubator. The temperature can be measured anywhere within the airflow. In a still-air incubator, there is no fan, the heat stratifies inside the incubator so the temperature is different between the top and bottom of the incubator.
The advantage of the forced-air incubator is that it is easier to maintain humidity at a constant level because of air circulation. If you are the DIY type, building your own incubator is fairly easy too. Our members have shared designs, plans, and ideas on their homemade incubators HERE,
Then on the other hand. a broody hen is a great way to hatch chicks for you and your flock. She will do all the work, she’ll have a better hatch rate than many incubators, and, best of all, no stinky brooders to clean up. It can be nerve-wracking when you let a broody hatch for you the first time, especially if you’ve bought her really expensive hatching eggs.
Which type of Incubator is your favorite? If you have any questions, feel free to ask for help in the Incubating & Hatching Eggs section of our forum.
Further Recommended Reading:
Just in case you are looking for a store-bought incubator, there are some really good ones HERE.
An Incubator, of course, is the most important factor in this process - so we launched the following poll: What Type of Incubator Do You Use?
The results were as follows:
1st Place: Store-Bought Forced Air Incubator (66.2%)
2nd Place: Broody Hen (45.5%)
3rd Place: Store-Bought Still Air Incubator (9.6%)
4th Place: Homemade Forced Air Incubator (6.6%)
5th Place: Homemade Still Air Incubator (3%)
The main difference between a forced-air and a still-air incubator is in the fan. In a forced-air incubator, a fan circulates the air around the incubator which keeps the temperature constant in all parts of the incubator. The temperature can be measured anywhere within the airflow. In a still-air incubator, there is no fan, the heat stratifies inside the incubator so the temperature is different between the top and bottom of the incubator.
The advantage of the forced-air incubator is that it is easier to maintain humidity at a constant level because of air circulation. If you are the DIY type, building your own incubator is fairly easy too. Our members have shared designs, plans, and ideas on their homemade incubators HERE,
Then on the other hand. a broody hen is a great way to hatch chicks for you and your flock. She will do all the work, she’ll have a better hatch rate than many incubators, and, best of all, no stinky brooders to clean up. It can be nerve-wracking when you let a broody hatch for you the first time, especially if you’ve bought her really expensive hatching eggs.
Which type of Incubator is your favorite? If you have any questions, feel free to ask for help in the Incubating & Hatching Eggs section of our forum.
Further Recommended Reading:
- Guide To Letting Broody Hens Hatch & Raise Chicks
- The Beginners Guide to Incubation
- Incubation Cheat Sheet
- How To Incubate & Hatch Chicken Eggs - Just 21 Days From Egg To Chicken!
Just in case you are looking for a store-bought incubator, there are some really good ones HERE.
