How good is your broody? How to identify the good, the bad, and the indifferent

A very helpful article that can help people choose which hens to allow to hatch eggs, as not all broodies are created equal.

This is a very helpful and well written article!

Very indepth article, well written, you definitely take the time to observe your flock, thus being able to share your broody knowledge with us. Eggs-cellent article!

Extremely well-written article, thorough enough, and easy to understand. Of course, very informative. I'm pretty new to the whole broody experience, but have already noticed some of the behaviours mentioned, and will be on the lookout for them in future brooding attempts.

Thanks for writing this amazing article Perris!

As usual, Perris expertly combines experience, observation, and supplemental research in this investigative snapshot of broodiness in hens. A great write up for both the experienced and otherwise, I enjoyed the photos, practical examples, and question/answer format in determining broody effectiveness from hatch to sustainability!

Well written article, combining personal experiences with available literature /research. My experiences with broodies, mama’s and bought eggs are in some aspects the same but also a bit different.
A few times 3 out of 10/12 hatched. But last year I had 9 out of 11. Maybe it’s because I have bantams who prefer to co-brood and co-raise. And with lots of cats visiting our garden I don’t dare to leave the mama’ to free range with the chicks without supervision.
The time the mama’s cared and educated varied from about 8 - 16 weeks. The older hens are definitely mothering longer than the younger hens.

A well presented and interesting article. The findings in the article are largely consitent with my experiences of broodies. What's missing are observations of broodies sitting and hatching in secret nests, known or not by the keeper. I find it astonishing when I read about or see a hen assumed missing appear one day with a large group of chicks. I liked the fact that pullet mums are included. I've found pullet mums who often try to make nest away from the adults and the main coops, sit and hatch with reasonable reliability but didn't do as well when it came to getting the chicks to fledgling stage.

Easy to read, yet very informative. Thanks for this different perspective!

Interesting observations on a topic not often seen in such detail.

Love it, comprehensive & well researched both from personal experience (suspect thorough & detailed record keeping) and academic papers such as there are. Excellent photos. Would expect nothing less from you, Perris. Enjoyed the read, didn’t notice any glaring grammatical or other errors but I’m not a proof reader or, unfortunately, a person with experience of broodies raising chicks