Any experience with broody BO's ?

[Barred Rocker]

This is my first year with Buff Orpingtons and I have three 6 month old and two 5 month old pullets and a roo. I hear that buffs are known for going broody fairly often and wondered if anyone had any that did so the first year. My 6 mo old's are starting to lay now and they are so sweet and friendly, I'd love for them to hatch a couple of batches this year. Otherwise I'm going to have to go with the bator.

 

[joedie]

Mine have gone broody several times in the first year and soon after they started laying. They haven't done so since it's been so cold though. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. As a matter of fact, the BO's are the only ones who have gone broody so far and I have RIR, BA, SLW, NHR, and EE's.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

In time they should go broody. mine has a 5 week old chick under her warm belly. I let her hatch 3, but 2 were roos,so I re-homed them.

 

[Barred Rocker]

Quote:
Wow, I've heard they could start setting at a young age. I'm hoping they'll hold off at least a few more months. I just can't see raising chicks in this bitter cold. Btw, I have a sussex bantam that seems to live to go broody, she set 3 times last year and I had to take her eggs away twice this winter and guess what, she's started again this week. The only problem with her is that she raises her babies to be flighty so they grow up scared to death of people. That's why I'm hoping my BO's will go broody. My girls love me to death, they actually push each other off to perch on my knees and shoulders.

 

[Junkmanme]

My "Main Hen", Mopsy, is a Buff Orpington. She "went broody" last Spring when the weather began warming-up. (She was approx 10 months old at that time and a very good, steady, egg-layer.)

She hatched and raised 2 broods of chicks last year..........and would have done more if I had left her with eggs.

(I was concerned that "too much brooding" would weaken her too much before this Winter set in.)

She is an amazingly fine broody hen........but sometimes a bit "ill-tempered". (VERY PROTECTIVE of eggs and chicks !!!)

-Junkmanme-

 

[PaintedPony]

I have a BO that went broody in her first year. She was about 9 months old when I decided to let her set on a clutch. She hatched out 6 chicks and is raising 5 of them. We lost one to a predator before we moved them all indoors.

 

[CityChicker]

I have had some that have gone broody in their first year. Overall, my Buff Orps have been great broodies.

 

[Suburban chick farmer 09]

I have 2 that will be a year old if February. The first went broody at about 6 months. I gave her 3 eggs and all 3 hatched. She raised them on her own. Now it's the middle of winter and she's broody again.

Not sure I want to let her try it in this weather. The second went broody at about 8 months. I bought a couple chicks from the feed store and stuck them under her at night. She also raised them without an issue.