barbu duccles

[emmaellis111]

Hello all, this is probably the most stupid question ever but Do barbu d'uccles get broody a certain month?
I have a cockerel hes 7-8 months and hes not trud my hens yet? I thought they have rumpy pumpy all the time? Help im new to chickens

emma

 

[sumi]

In my experience when a hen gets it in her head to go broody, she'll go broody. Whether it's in the middle of winter, or spring! I'm not familiar with D'uccles, so I don't know at which age they'll mature and start laying, go broody, but once a hen is laying, it can be any time…. or never. The cockbird should start treading the hens when he senses they are ready to start laying, but note, that is a "should".

 

[emmaellis111]

Thank you for your post, do u or anyone know do they get broody often or not so,as I really want to have some chicks, and is there a particular age when a hen has or wants chicks as mine are only 7 months but I was told they won't get broody till there one? Any one ?? Xx

 

[sumi]

Again, it's down to hormones and the individual hen. I had hens that never ever went broody and I had ex-battery hens go broody and hatch chicks, though they were supposed to be non-broody. One hen that I will always remember fondly laid 13 eggs, 12 of them in a secret nest since we confiscated her first one, and hatched 12 chicks. She raised them, weaned them, laid 12 eggs in another secret nest, hatched them…. over and over

You should ask some of the D'Uccle breeders here about their experience with the breed. You'll find some of them here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/269521/duccle-thread/0_30