Incubator vs hen

[Hopeful homesteader]

I'm not incubating or hatching any time soon but learning for future reference. There's an inconsistency that I'm trying to understand, with an incubator you have to keep a constant temp and humidity, increasing humidity near hatch but with a hen sitting on them, there's a wider temperature range and humidity isn't maintained at all and the hen will come off the eggs to eat, drink, or poop occasionally yet a hen is equally if not more successful than the incubator. I just don't understand how an incubator that's slightly off can ruin all the eggs but if a hen comes off the eggs and goes back they're fine. Can anyone explain what the issue is in this scenario or suggest reading materials, thanks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm not incubating or hatching any time soon but learning for future reference. There's an inconsistency that I'm trying to understand, with an incubator you have to keep a constant temp and humidity, increasing humidity near hatch but with a hen sitting on them, there's a wider temperature range and humidity isn't maintained at all and the hen will come off the eggs to eat, drink, or poop occasionally yet a hen is equally if not more successful than the incubator. I just don't understand how an incubator that's slightly off can ruin all the eggs but if a hen comes off the eggs and goes back they're fine. Can anyone explain what the issue is in this scenario or suggest reading materials, thanks.

I think it's more a "human setting isn't natural, so to combat it, everything must be perfect" thing. Kinda like breathing on a planet.

For example, our planet,we can breathe it for better or worse. We can tolerate a wide range of air quality. But if we were to go to a planet with an atmosphere we weren't meant to breathe, everything would have to be perfect or there would be substantial loss

 

[Tonyroo]

I'm not incubating or hatching any time soon but learning for future reference. There's an inconsistency that I'm trying to understand, with an incubator you have to keep a constant temp and humidity, increasing humidity near hatch but with a hen sitting on them, there's a wider temperature range and humidity isn't maintained at all and the hen will come off the eggs to eat, drink, or poop occasionally yet a hen is equally if not more successful than the incubator. I just don't understand how an incubator that's slightly off can ruin all the eggs but if a hen comes off the eggs and goes back they're fine. Can anyone explain what the issue is in this scenario or suggest reading materials, thanks.

Hens don't always have successful hatches do to there own carelessness. It's a learning process for them. But by practice, they do learn what needs to be done to hatch a egg. And your on there schedule.

With an incubator hatch, you have full control of the development of an egg. With artificial hatches, it requires to know your settings of temperature, humidity, air circulation, and the duration for an egg to hatch. This method is on your schedule and convenience. There's no limit of the amount of eggs that can be hatched provided you have right equipment.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

I think it's more a "human setting isn't natural, so to combat it, everything must be perfect" thing. Kinda like breathing on a planet.

For example, our planet,we can breathe it for better or worse. We can tolerate a wide range of air quality. But if we were to go to a planet with an atmosphere we weren't meant to breathe, everything would have to be perfect or there would be substantial loss

That analogy actually makes sense lol

Hens don't always have successful hatches do to there own carelessness. It's a learning process for them. But by practice, they do learn what needs to be done to hatch a egg. And your on there schedule.

With an incubator hatch, you have full control of the development of an egg. With artificial hatches, it requires to know your settings of temperature, humidity, air circulation, and the duration for an egg to hatch. This method is on your schedule and convenience. There's no limit of the amount of eggs that can be hatched provided you have right equipment.

I know hens don't always have successful hatches but I guess with the right hens they'll always do better than an incubator. Is there an age range to let a broody try or just give them eggs whenever they go broody and hope they turn out good? I have Wyandottes and a blue orpington, I've been told both can be broody so if all goes well that's 3 potential moms. I'm still intimidated with the artificial incubation process I think because I don't know enough about it. My only experience hatching eggs was my childhood babysitter over 25 yrs ago and really all I remember is eggs one week and chicks the next lol.

 

[Ponypoor]

I too find this hatching business both fun and stressful. I have a very young Silkie x sitting on 4 eggs, first time broody, first time eggs, and she only just started laying about a couple months ago.... She seems to be doing great, me on the other hand, am filled with stress and worry. Day 20 and heard cheeping from eggs this AM so hopeful that soon will have some chickies! As result I am reading everything I can on the subject haha!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Having had broody hatches as well as artificially incubating more than a few eggs , I think it would be accurate to say that, generally, a good broody will have greater success than artificial incubation. I think it largely comes down to the ability to adjust the incubation settings quickly and often to best meet the needs of the developing chicks - a broody knows in real time if a longer or shorter cooling period (when she'll leave the eggs or stand above them) is needed or more or less humidity is optimal.

With artificial incubation, some people may approach it as "set and forget", or otherwise not check how the eggs are progressing (e.g., weight or air cell size), or not check/adjust the temperature as often as needed (incubators can be finicky, I check several times a day and adjust as needed - and I doubt settings being slightly off would, alone, cause a completely failed hatch). We just don't have the same feedback mechanisms as a broody hen, not to mention the quality of equipment, special considerations for different types of eggs, etc. In short, there are numerous variables when artificially incubating eggs.

That said, I prefer the control (and fun) of artificially incubating eggs, as well as the convenience of not having to separate a broody from the flock and, potentially, take her chicks from her at some point.

 

[Tonyroo]

That analogy actually makes sense lol

I know hens don't always have successful hatches but I guess with the right hens they'll always do better than an incubator. Is there an age range to let a broody try or just give them eggs whenever they go broody and hope they turn out good? I have Wyandottes and a blue orpington, I've been told both can be broody so if all goes well that's 3 potential moms. I'm still intimidated with the artificial incubation process I think because I don't know enough about it. My only experience hatching eggs was my childhood babysitter over 25 yrs ago and really all I remember is eggs one week and chicks the next lol.

Your blue orpington would probably go broody before the Wyandotte.

I'm still waiting for my Wyandotte to go broody, she's almost 2 years old.

There are threads about how to use an incubator just takes time to read and study about it.

That's what I did when I first started keeping chickens, all my birds came from my incubator.

Also my incubator is homemade diy.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Incubating doesn't have to be perfect to work.
Most try for perfect to get the best hatch rate possible.
This was my first incubator. It was far from stable. No thermostat and an old school Christmas light bulb for heat.
I had success with it so.....

 

[Tonyroo]

Incubating doesn't have to be perfect to work.
Most try for perfect to get the best hatch rate possible.
This was my first incubator. It was far from stable. No thermostat and an old school Christmas light bulb for heat.
I had success with it so.....
View attachment 2866165

Lol, it looks like toy.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Lol, it looks like toy.

Toy UFO?