Incubating Hatching Eggs: Natural Incubation or Egg Incubator?

Hatching chicks is a fascinating adventure, whether you're a breeder or a hobby owner. You have two options: natural incubation, provided by a broody hen, or artificial incubation with an incubator.

Each method has its advantages, its constraints... and its little surprises. So, what do you need to know to make the right choice?

Natural incubation: when the hen does it all

How does natural egg incubation work?

When a hen “becomes an incubator”, her behavior changes: she stays on the nest, puffs up her feathers, clucks in a low tone, refuses to leave her eggs, and can even get a bit grumpy! It's an instinct that's triggered mainly in spring, but sometimes in the middle of winter.

Once she has settled on 10 to 15 eggs, she regulates the temperature with her body (around 37.5°C), turns the eggs regularly with her beak, and humidifies the environment with her own breath. After 21 days, the first “peep-peep” breaks through the shell.

The Benefits of Natural Egg Incubation

• Zero material requirements.
• Less stress: the hen manages everything (temperature, humidity, turning).
• Chicks learn to feed and protect themselves by following their mother.
• Chicks are more resistant to temperature variations and quickly develop immunity to disease.
• Very natural and moving to observe!

The drawbacks of incubating chicken eggs

• Not all hens become broody.
• Some abandon the nest along the way.
• Limited number of eggs.
• Risk of breakage or unfertilized eggs in the middle of the batch.
• Risk of chicks being crushed by the mother or other hens/roosters in the henhouse.
• Chicks are more fearful of humans.
• A hen that broods and looks after chicks won't lay eggs for a few months.

Egg Incubator: When Everything Is Under Your Control—Or Almost Everything

How does artificial incubation work?

Artificial incubation involves placing hatching eggs in an electric incubator, which mimics natural conditions: stable temperature, controlled humidity, automatic or manual turning. The duration is the same: 21 days on average.

It's the ideal solution if you want to hatch several eggs at the same time, or if you don't have a broody hen on hand.

The Benefits of Artificial Incubation

• You choose when to hatch.
• You can incubate more eggs at once (variable according to incubator model).
• You control all the parameters: perfect for budding scientists!
• You can monitor each stage with a mirror lamp (to see if the embryo is developing).

The Drawbacks of Artificial Incubation

• Requires a reliable (and sometimes expensive) incubator.
• Daily monitoring recommended.
• Risk of breakdown or setting error (overheating, humidity too low...).
• No mother hen: chicks will have to be raised under a lamp or heating plate.

What to Expect After the Incubated Eggs Hatch?

With a broody hen: the chicks are warmed, fed and protected from birth. They follow her everywhere, and she teaches them how to behave. They are quickly accepted by the hens, thanks to their mother.

With an egg incubator: it's up to you! The chicks need to be placed in a controlled environment, away from adult hens who could injure them, with water, suitable food and daily supervision. Chicks can be integrated into the adult group at around 3-4 months of age, or when they've reached a similar size.

Tips from Maude, an experienced breeder

Key factors to consider when choosing the incubation method best suited to your situation

There is no “best” incubation method when it comes to eggs (even though we wish there were!). Ultimately, it all comes down to one question: What are your circumstances, context, and goals?

This comparison chart allows you to evaluate the two options based on your situation for each criterion, helping you make a decision.

Criteria	Natural incubation	Artificial incubation
Material	None	Incubator, lamp, hygrometer and thermometer
Number of eggs	Limited (10-15 max)	Variable (up to 50+)
Easy	Very simple (if the hen is reliable)	Technical, requires more attention
Experience	Emotional, instinctive	Educational, scientific
Success rate	Variable	More regular if well managed

 

For tips on choosing a the right chicken house for your hens, treating and preventing parasites, and everything else related to raising laying hens, visit our blog.