Hi
I want to hatch some eggs this year, and for several reasons, i want to try this the natural way using a broody hen rather than an incubator/brooder route which would still mean having somewhere outside for them once they were feathered up. At the moment i just have the main coop and run and so i want to buy something to use as a broody ark, to house the broody and the chicks. Initially i am thinking about trying hubbards, as i gather they can be at a size big enough to kill at 10-12 weeks and before the cockerals start crowing.
My question is, if i got 12 hatching eggs, (of which i doubt i would get 12 chicks) would a omlet eglu be suitable for using as a broody ark - i presume i would need to keep the broody with the chicks until about 5 weeks old, then she could go back to the layers pen, but also assuming i would need a run extension if there are too many that hatch? I already have an omlet cube and really like how easy they are to keep clean but want to make sure it would be suitable before i buy the eglu.
thanks Loopy