The best broody breed

[fluffycrow]

Do aseel have down under their feathers or are they like cornish bantams where they dont have very much of anything under their outer feathers? Feathered feet can help protect toes, silkied feathering does well when kept dry.

And while they are looking for a good broody, temperament outside is still important. I've heard many people talk about how aggressive their female aseels are in general, so they likely wouldn't be good in most flocks unless kept in specific ways

No, they don't. Or they shouldn't, I should say. Many birds I've seen do have the down. Foot feathers are ok when they're dry. When they get wet they become a problem. Same with the silkied feathering, as you said. I'd rather risk it with an aseel than a silkied or feather footed bird. To be fair we do not get as cold, more so wet. It's just smarter to have clean legs over here. I agree, temperament is important. That's why I don't like this question. Because aseel are the best broodies and mothers period. But that doesn't make them the best broody for every person's situation. Those two are different

 

[Kabootar]

Do aseel have down under their feathers or are they like cornish bantams where they dont have very much of anything under their outer feathers? Feathered feet can help protect toes, silkied feathering does well when kept dry.

And while they are looking for a good broody, temperament outside is still important. I've heard many people talk about how aggressive their female aseels are in general, so they likely wouldn't be good in most flocks unless kept in specific ways

Aseels are not agressive towards humans and females do well in mixed flocks, they don't bully their flockmates, but they hold their ground. They don't allow anyone to bully them. We keep rowdy cockerels with aseel hens to teach them manners.

Aseel roosters however should be kept seperate from other roosters, specially other gamecocks. They can be kept as the flock roosters though, they are very gentle and dutiful towards hens. However you can only keep one rooster.

Aseels seldom show any agression towards people. Infact if hand raised many roosters choose to live with people than other chickens. They are popular pets in South Asia.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

As was said, silkies and games like aseel and phoenix are reliable. Cochins are about the most reliable of the DP breeds.
Basically, the best broody is one that sets often regardless of breed. Only half of my Orpingtons ever went broody, I've had several White Leghorns go broody but that was out of 100 hens. I had a black Leghorn that raised a couple clutches a year for me so you never know.
I had Penedesencas go broody every year even though I've read they aren't supposed to.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

French Marans!!!! Pick any color you like.

You can also call on our resident Broody Magician, but be prepared for more broodys than you can count, for more years than you may like.

 

[NagemTX]

So far through experience its Phoenix for me. I had an Ameraucana and an Oropington brood as well. The Ameraucana was a better mom than the Oropington. The Phoenix was the best out of all three of them. She stayed with the chicks longer than both and well wanted to take in any chicks.

The new up and coming Phoenix are already wanting to brood eggs.

By far the best one were EEs my neighbor gave me back in the 90's. Always on a nest of eggs and didn't like me taking them. Then hatched out and took care of the babies very well.

 

[RememberTheWay]

I do not know about the APA, but in Europe we most definitely have LF silkies

Curious if you know if one is more likely to go broody - the silkie LF or a silkie bantam? I'm building a chick hatching coop on my farm for hens to sit on eggs for me and am researching the best breeds for my farm. I have American game fowl and yes they make excellent mothers and go broody often - even had one get attacked by a dog and not only take back her own chicks but adopted the group I had hatched out as well making her group over 25 chicks! It was nothing short or amazing to watch. Super impressive. BUT - I do not appreciate the flightiness, they do not do well in confinement and tend to bully other birds if made to do so, they are very difficult to contain due to several factors, and they are not pets really. I have been impressed with their mothering skills (same bird also had a chick fall into our tiny pond and see Actually alerted to me while I was inside the house, and allowed me to help the chick out before it drowned - this same bird under normal circumstances would not of been okay with me catching her chick) BUT I really wpuld prefer calm doce petlike broody hens and american game just do not fit that. I want a breed that is also content in a coop and large run. AGF don't fit that either.

So far I'm leaning heavily towards silkies and maybe some bantam cochins.

Something else I don't like about the AGF is that they really do not Kay very many eggs and I would prefer my broody hens to produce eggs. It cost me exactly the same to feed a bird that gives back to us as one that does not. I would like eggs. From what I've heard silkies have decent production.

Does anyone know if there is a difference in bantam and full size silkies as far as broodiness. What about egg production? Are they the same for personality? Temperment? Are there any other marked differences between the sizes I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Curious if you know if one is more likely to go broody - the silkie LF or a silkie bantam? I'm building a chick hatching coop on my farm for hens to sit on eggs for me and am researching the best breeds for my farm. I have American game fowl and yes they make excellent mothers and go broody often - even had one get attacked by a dog and not only take back her own chicks but adopted the group I had hatched out as well making her group over 25 chicks! It was nothing short or amazing to watch. Super impressive. BUT - I do not appreciate the flightiness, they do not do well in confinement and tend to bully other birds if made to do so, they are very difficult to contain due to several factors, and they are not pets really. I have been impressed with their mothering skills (same bird also had a chick fall into our tiny pond and see Actually alerted to me while I was inside the house, and allowed me to help the chick out before it drowned - this same bird under normal circumstances would not of been okay with me catching her chick) BUT I really wpuld prefer calm doce petlike broody hens and american game just do not fit that. I want a breed that is also content in a coop and large run. AGF don't fit that either.

So far I'm leaning heavily towards silkies and maybe some bantam cochins.

Something else I don't like about the AGF is that they really do not Kay very many eggs and I would prefer my broody hens to produce eggs. It cost me exactly the same to feed a bird that gives back to us as one that does not. I would like eggs. From what I've heard silkies have decent production.

Does anyone know if there is a difference in bantam and full size silkies as far as broodiness. What about egg production? Are they the same for personality? Temperment? Are there any other marked differences between the sizes I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance

I would guess that the bantams would be broodier, since larger ones are probably also geared a bit towards meat, and not solely show/brooding, but thats literally just a guess

 

[aribubbs]

Silkies! I have 2 1 year olds and they’ve both gone broody already over the winter. I have one a clutch of 6 mailed eggs and she hatched 4. But consider that silkies are smaller so can’t take a huge number of large fowl eggs as they make not stay warm enough under her (think they say 6 max if not bantam)

 

[aribubbs]

I would guess that the bantams would be broodier, since larger ones are probably also geared a bit towards meat, and not solely show/brooding, but thats literally just a guess

Bantam silkies.
They are also generally incredibly gentle. Mine allowed me to candle the eggs under her regularly without attacking me in any way - if another hen came near her, she’d go a bit mad but about as mad as a bantam silkie can be! She’s been a super attentive mum so far (chicks are 5 weeks old, pic when they were a week or so) but also allows me to handle the babies and still comes for cuddles.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Curious if you know if one is more likely to go broody - the silkie LF or a silkie bantam? I'm building a chick hatching coop on my farm for hens to sit on eggs for me and am researching the best breeds for my farm. I have American game fowl and yes they make excellent mothers and go broody often - even had one get attacked by a dog and not only take back her own chicks but adopted the group I had hatched out as well making her group over 25 chicks! It was nothing short or amazing to watch. Super impressive. BUT - I do not appreciate the flightiness, they do not do well in confinement and tend to bully other birds if made to do so, they are very difficult to contain due to several factors, and they are not pets really. I have been impressed with their mothering skills (same bird also had a chick fall into our tiny pond and see Actually alerted to me while I was inside the house, and allowed me to help the chick out before it drowned - this same bird under normal circumstances would not of been okay with me catching her chick) BUT I really wpuld prefer calm doce petlike broody hens and american game just do not fit that. I want a breed that is also content in a coop and large run. AGF don't fit that either.

So far I'm leaning heavily towards silkies and maybe some bantam cochins.

Something else I don't like about the AGF is that they really do not Kay very many eggs and I would prefer my broody hens to produce eggs. It cost me exactly the same to feed a bird that gives back to us as one that does not. I would like eggs. From what I've heard silkies have decent production.

Does anyone know if there is a difference in bantam and full size silkies as far as broodiness. What about egg production? Are they the same for personality? Temperment? Are there any other marked differences between the sizes I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance

Unless something has changed I'm not aware of, Silkies don't have a LF counterpart. They are true bantams. Over the years, judges have ignored the standards and started giving ribbons to larger and larger birds but the last I heard, silkies are still bantams - only.
For reliable broodies, bantam Cochins are a good choice too.