Incubators versus broody.
With modern technology it’s hard to believe that a back yard chook can be smarter than a computer, which is more or less what a modern automatic incubator is. But you try and hatch out 18 Muscovy ducks eggs as well as Mrs. Duck does but even then the broody chicken or duck goes on to keep its offspring’s warm and safe teach them how to hunt and scratch. As you look on sipping your home made wine or what ever else you want to do. We use both broody chickens and incubators to hatch our fowl but I much prefer whenever possible to, like fresh Oysters go natural!
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Silkey hatched one chick brought up 15 |
Broody Hens and incubators part part.
A Silky hen is one if not the best broodys there is, but she has a problem. Size wise that is, she cannot hatch many big eggs out at once. Five chicken or four Ducks and six Guinea Fowl etc. So you have some eggs you want to hatch and she is not broody! OK all may not be lost this is what we do. Leave several dummy eggs at all times in her nest box it encourages her to go broody. Put the fertile eggs into the incubator and as long as a hen goes broody in the next 18 days take her dummy eggs from her at dusk and replace with one or two of yours out the incubator, gently quietly without stress. When her eggs and yours hatch each night palm you’re newly hatched from the incubator under her. This works for us but no guarantees if she pecks them take them away and use a brooder box. The hen on the left hatched one barnevelder chick but brought up fifteen. The hen on the right hatched one duckling and brought up fourteen. We live in a climate which is mediterranean not to cold at night this helps dictate how many chicks she can keep warm.
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Broody sits on Guinea Fowl eggs
Hi Margie! xxxx |
