Use a broody hen to hatch chicks for free instead of buying an incubator. Recognize a broody hen by her puffing and pecking, move her to a milk-crate nest in a dark chicken-tractor, confine her briefly until she settles, then let her sit for 21 days with minimal food and water. She'll hatch and raise the chicks herself.
Here's how I'm hatching chicks for free and without an incubator in 5 steps. A hen has gone broody. That means she's ready to sit and hatch some eggs. How do you know she's broody? Well, she puffs up when you go out there to try to touch her or get eggs. She growls at you, even pecks. Whoa, whoa, she's definitely broody. Secondly, you remove her from her nest Quickly, gently, without fanfare, I keep her in the milk crate nest boxes we have, and we move her to a quiet, secluded, dark place. The chicken tractor works perfect for that. She gets startled and wants to jump out and stressed out and wants to flee. She's a chicken, okay? She's scared. Cover her up so she can't jump out. Turn her nest box around so the opening is against the wall and can't get out that way. Leave her trapped there for just a couple of hours till she settles back in, and then you can gently turn the nest box around, open up the top, and she won't get out. Provide food and water, although she'll eat very little. And lastly, leave her there for 21 days. She will incubate these chicks, will cost you zero money. She will hatch these chicks, no incubator required. Maybe even the best part, she'll raise these chicks. No need to put them in a brooder. She'll raise them, protect them, make make sure they get food, and they'll be off to a great start.
If I had to start my Homestead all over again, it could only pick one animal… 
