Incubating hatching eggs: naturally or in an 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 it 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.

✅ Pros

• 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!

❌ Cons

• 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.

🔧 Artificial incubation: everything under control... or almost

🐣 How does it 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.

✅ Pros

• 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).

❌ Cons

• 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.

🐤 And after hatching?

• 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 the 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.

🧡 The final word: choose according to your situation

There's no “better” method than the other: it all depends on your context and objectives.

 

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