That is the question

What is best for you!

Do you just want a few hens in the garden so you can have your own eggs & raise a few chicks. Then a good broody is probably the best way to go. Having a broody doesn’t mean that you have to stick to the same breed. Silkie or Silkie crosses make good broodies, I use a Silkie x Light Sussex that sits on 5-7 eggs but the bigger the broody the more eggs she will sit on but first make sure that your broody hen is sitting tight. I was told by a friend years ago who has bred chickens for many years always put an odd number under her. Why I don’t know but I stick to it & it works well for me.

If your going to show & keep chickens as a hobby then you will probably use both a broody & an incubator. My advice is to always buy the best incubator that you can afford at the start, if you don’t you may want to change it after the first season. Don't forget that chicks from a incubator will need heat for at least 6 weeks depending on the time of year & the weather.

I can only tell you of my own experience. My first incubator was a Manio 50 egg capacity, the plus with this is it’s clear top so you can see what is happening. The minus was its internal auto turner you have to set it just right & the cradle is “one size fits all” so some eggs fit great others a bit loose, also controlling humidity is awkward. This was sometime ago so I guess that they must have improved by now. The next incubator that I brought was the Brinsea Octagon 20 DX (24 eggs) with electronic temperature control & digital read out. I use a wet bulb thermometer which give you much more control of the humidity. It has a fully adjustable egg tray so small & large eggs will fit perfectly, the auto turning cradle is external this is a big plus. The complete set up is quiet to run & hatch rate is great. The minus is the lid is not so easy to see through, but that’s all. Check out the links page for both of these manufactures. There are many more make & types on the web so have a good look around to see what would suit you.

Good luck & happy hatching.