Which do you prefer?
I’m often asked, which do I prefer, the incubator or the setting hen? I like to use both, but for different reasons, and at different times of the breeding season. For example, I’ll use the incubator in the early part of the breeding season, and use the hens at the end of the breeding season.
The incubator for me has two purposes. One is to get as many chicks hatched as possible before the weather warms up. The earlier in the breeding season you can get chicks hatched, the better they will grow and develop. Once the summer heat arrives, so does the problems associated with it, such as coccidiosis, parasites, and a reduction in feed intake. Birds eat less when it’s hot.
Second, it’s good to track your strains hatchability and fertility rates. As always, I will mark the eggs, so that I know who the parents are of each chick. If I begin to see a pattern, where the eggs are not hatching from a particular brood pen, chances are the cock is no longer fertile, and should be culled from the breeding program. If the eggs are fertile, but are not hatching, then the blame rest on the hen, and she is removed from the breeding program.
A lot of time can be wasted if you neglect to track your strains hatchability and fertility rates. This is especially true in the early days of spring/breeding season. You must know why the eggs are not hatching and from which birds/pen this is occurring.
Every hen in my breeding program counts, and it would be very disappointing if I didn’t hatch chicks from my best brood hens each season.
Setting Hens: Although I will use the incubator in the beginning of the breeding season, I like to use the hens in the second half of the breeding season. This assures me that my brood hens have the broody instincts, and are good mothers. If she turns out to be a poor mother, or not very broody, I will cull her at that time.
Broody hens are very import to me, and to my strains. I raise American Games, and broodiness is a necessary trait. I also raise Marans, and although broodiness is not a necessity, it is still very important to me and my strain, and is a trait I will select for.
