Incubator Vs Broody Hen

Learn about the pros and cons of egg incubation vs. using a broody hen to hatch eggs.

by Erin Snyder

Adding new chicks to your flock is an exciting time for all poultry owners. But for those who want to hatch eggs of their own, the choice is more complicated than placing an order at your local feed store. Choosing between a broody hen versus an incubator and brooder can be tough. Before you embark on hatching and rearing chicks, let’s look at the pros and cons of these two chick-raising options.

Incubator Pros

Years ago, chicks were hatched under a broody hen, but today, more poultry owners are hatching eggs with an incubator.

1. Larger Hatchings
   Many chicken keepers use an incubator instead of a broody hen because incubators can hatch more eggs at a time. This is especially convenient for flock owners who want to increase their flock significantly or for those looking to raise chicks and other poultry as a source of income.
   Another plus to using an incubator versus a hen is you can hatch as many broods as you want throughout the year, unlike a broody hen that’ll raise only one or two broods.
2. Continued Egg Production
   The most popular reason many poultry owners choose an incubator is continued egg production. Since eggs are the main reason many flock owners raise their own chickens, many consider the ceased egg production while a hen hatches and raises chicks to be an inconvenience.
3. Friendlier Chicks
   If you raise your flock as pets or just enjoy having friendly egg layers, hatching eggs in the incubator will often result in friendlier chicks, as new hatchlings imprint on humans instead of their mama hen.
   Whether you raise chickens for pleasure or profit, raising friendly chicks will make your future flock easier to handle and more enjoyable to work with.

Incubator Cons

While there are many upsides to hatching chicks with an incubator and raising them by hand, there are downsides, too. A few problems may occur while using an incubator and brooder.

1. Improper Heat and Humidity
   If you’ve ever hatched chicks in an incubator, you know that stabilizing the humidity and heat levels can be difficult.
   Controlling the heat is critical for successful hatching, as too much heat will cook the embryo, while too little heat will chill the developing chick, causing it to die.
   Humidity is also critical, as too little humidity causes the eggshell to stick to the chick while hatching, resulting in casualties. At the same time, high humidity makes chicks grow abnormally large in the egg, causing hatching malfunctions.
2. Power Loss
   When using an incubator to hatch eggs, a power loss can destroy the entire hatch in hours. A broody hen has the advantage here, as she doesn’t need electricity to do the job right.
3. Household Pets
   If chicks are raised in a brooder in the house, household pets can be a threat. Dogs, cats, rats, snakes, and ferrets all enjoy the taste of chicken, so extra precautions should be taken to ensure the chick’s safety at all times.

Broody Hen Pros

Hatching chicks under a hen has stood the test of time. With their nurturing and mothering abilities, broody hens cost less than an expensive incubator.

1. Natural Life Cycle
   One of the biggest joys of allowing a hen to hatch and raise her chicks is watching your flock live a natural life. Whether they’re scratching in the grass together for a tasty snack or snuggling in her soft feathers, watching chicks interact with a hen is well worth the lack of eggs in your nesting box.
2. Work Completed
   When hatching with a broody hen, there’s no need to constantly worry about humidity levels or if the eggs are too hot or cold. The hen takes care of that for you.
   Hens know when the eggs are chilly and refuse to leave the nest until the risk is past. If the eggs are too hot, hens will take a break from sitting until they cool down.
   Hatching eggs under a broody hen reduces the stress of constantly checking heat and humidity levels and frees up more time for you to spend ensuring the coop and run are safe for chicks.
3. Happy Hens
   Hens that go broody will take great delight in hatching out eggs and raising the chicks into adulthood. If you have a broody hen and want to expand your flock and have a safe place for her to brood some eggs, why not set the incubator aside?

Broody Hen Cons

Just like incubators have pros and cons, so do broody hens. Below are the top three cons of using a broody hen to hatch the eggs.

1. Loss of Interest
   Occasionally, broody hens lose interest in sitting on eggs and abandon their nests. This behavior is often seen in younger hens, but it can also happen with experienced hens.
   If a broody hen loses interest in the nest, action must be taken as soon as possible to save the eggs. Having an incubator on hand in case of an emergency is critical for the embryos’ survival.
2. Nesting Attachment
   While this behavior is more common in waterfowl than chickens, occasionally, a hen may be more attached to the eggs and the nest than to the newly hatched chicks. Hens will abandon the chicks and remain sitting on the nest until forced to relocate.
   If a hen has abandoned the chicks, put them in a safe and warm brooder until they’re old enough to rejoin the flock.
3. Predation
   Predation is one of the biggest threats broody hens and chicks face. Extra care should be taken to ensure the entire coop/nesting area, brooder, and run are completely predator proofed. Leave no hole bigger than one-half inch anywhere in the coop or run.
   Be sure to use protection against other flock mates, as some chickens may try to kill chicks.

Both hatching and raising chicks in an incubator and brooder versus a broody hen have pros and cons. But with a well-thought-out plan, either way you choose will help you hatch and raise chicks successfully.

Resources
www.FreshEggsDaily.blog/2014/01/Pros-and-Cons-of-Hatching-Chicks-Broody.html
www.ImaginAcres.com/Incubator-Versus-Broody-Hen-Chick-Hatching-Pros-Cons/

Erin Snyder lives in the Northeast with her family and flock of pet chickens. You can follow her at her gluten-free blog www.KristisCountryKitchen.com.

Originally published in the April/May 2025 issue of Backyard Poultry and regularly vetted for accuracy.