Can I make a hen go broody?

Not reliably — broodiness is driven by the hen's hormones and instinct, and you can't switch it on. Some breeds go broody far more readily than others (Silkies and Cochins are classic examples), while many high-production laying hybrids rarely or never set. If you need a hatch on a schedule and no hen is broody, an incubator is the dependable option.

How many eggs can a broody hen hatch?

It depends on her size — a standard hen typically covers around 6–12 eggs, and a bantam like a Silkie fewer. The rule is that she should comfortably cover every egg; eggs pushed out to the cold edges of an overloaded clutch hatch poorly. An incubator, by contrast, is limited only by its capacity, from a few eggs to hundreds.

Do incubator conditions have to match what a hen provides?

Essentially, yes — the incubator's job is to reproduce what a hen does by instinct. For chicken eggs that means about 99.5–100°F in a forced-air incubator, 45–55% humidity for the first 18 days, turning several times a day, then 65–75% humidity and no turning from lockdown on day 18 until hatch on day 21. Those figures come from university extension guidance.

Which breeds are most likely to go broody?

Silkies and Cochins are the most famously reliable broodies and are often used as dedicated 'setter' hens, including to hatch other breeds' or species' eggs. Orpingtons, Brahmas, and many heritage and bantam breeds also go broody fairly readily. Production-focused laying hybrids have usually had the instinct bred down and rarely sit.

Do I still need a brooder if I hatch with an incubator?

Yes. A broody hen keeps her chicks warm and teaches them to eat and drink, but chicks from an incubator have no mother, so you provide the warmth. Plan on a brooder with a heat lamp (or a heat plate) for several weeks after hatch — that ongoing brooding is one of the main jobs a broody hen saves you.

Broody Hen vs Incubator

Verified September 2026

The short version

A broody hen needs no equipment — she regulates temperature, humidity, and egg-turning by instinct and then broods the chicks for you — but you can't control when she goes broody, how many eggs she'll cover, or her hatch date, and not every hen ever goes broody. An incubator gives you full control over timing, temperature, humidity, and the number of eggs, and lets you scale up and hatch on schedule — but you manage everything (chicken eggs need 21 days at 99.5–100°F, 45–55% humidity, turning several times a day, then 65–75% at lockdown on day 18, per university extension sources) and then you must brood the chicks under a heat lamp. Pick the hen when one is already broody and you want a small, hands-off hatch; pick the incubator when you need to control timing, hatch more eggs, or don't have a broody bird.

Attribute	Broody hen	Incubator
Cost & equipment	None — the hen does the work; just a safe, quiet nest	Incubator (basic to cabinet), thermometer/hygrometer, turner, plus a brooder + heat lamp afterward
Number of eggs	Whatever she can cover — often ~6–12 for a standard hen; you can't force more	Set by capacity — a few eggs to hundreds; you choose
Scheduling / timing control	None — you wait for her to go broody, if she ever does	Full — set eggs any time and count 21 days to a planned hatch
Temperature & humidity management	She handles it by instinct; nothing to calibrate	You maintain ~99.5–100°F (forced-air) and 45–55%, rising to 65–75% at lockdown
Egg turning	She turns the eggs herself, continuously	Auto-turner or hand-turning 3–5+ times a day until day 18
Brooding after hatch	She broods, warms, and teaches the chicks — no heat lamp needed	You set up a brooder with a heat lamp and manage warmth for weeks
Reliability & repeatability	Depends on the individual hen — some abandon the nest; hard to plan around	Consistent and repeatable if you calibrate and hold conditions steady
Best breeds for broodiness	Silkies and Cochins are famously reliable setters; many hybrids rarely go broody	Breed-independent — any fertile eggs, from any breed

The verdict

Choose a **broody hen** when you already have one sitting, want a small hatch with almost no equipment, and don't mind that she — not you — sets the timing and the count: she manages temperature, humidity, and turning and then raises the chicks herself. Choose an **incubator** when you need to hatch on a schedule, want more eggs than a hen can cover, are hatching shipped or valuable eggs where you want to watch every egg, or simply don't have a hen who goes broody. Many breeders use both: a reliable Silkie for a relaxed spring clutch, and an incubator when they need volume or a fixed hatch date.

What a broody hen does for you (and what you give up)

A broody hen is a complete, self-contained hatching system. She holds the eggs at the right temperature against her brood patch, adjusts humidity by leaving the nest for short breaks, turns the eggs continuously, and knows when to stop. When they hatch she broods the chicks under her feathers, keeps them warm, and shows them how to eat and drink — so you skip the brooder and heat lamp entirely.

The trade-off is control. You can't schedule broodiness: a hen goes broody on her own hormonal clock, if at all, and many modern laying hybrids have had the instinct largely bred out. You also can't dictate how many eggs she covers — pushing extra eggs under her risks chilled, poorly hatched ones at the edges. And a hen can quit the nest partway through, so a single-hen hatch is less predictable than a well-run machine.

What an incubator gives you (and what you take on)

An incubator hands you the control a hen won't. You decide when to set eggs and can count forward to a planned hatch date, run far more eggs than any hen could cover, and hatch from any breed on demand. For chicken eggs the targets are well established from university extension sources: 21 days of incubation at 99.5–100°F in a forced-air unit, roughly 45–55% humidity for the first 18 days, then stop turning and raise humidity to 65–75% at lockdown on day 18.

In exchange, every one of those jobs is now yours. You calibrate the thermometer and hygrometer against known-good instruments, hold the temperature and humidity steady, turn the eggs (or trust an auto-turner) several times a day, candle to pull clears and quitters, and watch the air cell. Then, once the chicks hatch, you become the broody hen: they go into a brooder under a heat lamp that you manage for several weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broody hen or incubator better for hatching eggs?: Neither is universally better — they suit different situations. A broody hen is best when you already have a hen sitting, want a small hatch, and prefer a hands-off approach: she manages temperature, humidity, and turning and then broods the chicks. An incubator is best when you need to control the hatch date, want to hatch more eggs than a hen can cover, or don't have a hen that goes broody. Many keepers use both.
Can I make a hen go broody?: Not reliably — broodiness is driven by the hen's hormones and instinct, and you can't switch it on. Some breeds go broody far more readily than others (Silkies and Cochins are classic examples), while many high-production laying hybrids rarely or never set. If you need a hatch on a schedule and no hen is broody, an incubator is the dependable option.
How many eggs can a broody hen hatch?: It depends on her size — a standard hen typically covers around 6–12 eggs, and a bantam like a Silkie fewer. The rule is that she should comfortably cover every egg; eggs pushed out to the cold edges of an overloaded clutch hatch poorly. An incubator, by contrast, is limited only by its capacity, from a few eggs to hundreds.
Do incubator conditions have to match what a hen provides?: Essentially, yes — the incubator's job is to reproduce what a hen does by instinct. For chicken eggs that means about 99.5–100°F in a forced-air incubator, 45–55% humidity for the first 18 days, turning several times a day, then 65–75% humidity and no turning from lockdown on day 18 until hatch on day 21. Those figures come from university extension guidance.
Which breeds are most likely to go broody?: Silkies and Cochins are the most famously reliable broodies and are often used as dedicated 'setter' hens, including to hatch other breeds' or species' eggs. Orpingtons, Brahmas, and many heritage and bantam breeds also go broody fairly readily. Production-focused laying hybrids have usually had the instinct bred down and rarely sit.
Do I still need a brooder if I hatch with an incubator?: Yes. A broody hen keeps her chicks warm and teaches them to eat and drink, but chicks from an incubator have no mother, so you provide the warmth. Plan on a brooder with a heat lamp (or a heat plate) for several weeks after hatch — that ongoing brooding is one of the main jobs a broody hen saves you.

Sources

Important incubation factors — Mississippi State University Extension Service (University extension)
Hatching Quality Chicks (egg handling & incubation) — Mississippi State University Extension Service (University extension)