Best breeds for broody hens?

[Artichoke Lover]

I’m looking at adding to my flock and one of my main goals is to add some breeds that will go broody. I am not interested in either Cochins or Silkies. Neither would do well with my climate. I’ve heard Orpingtons are good but at the same time the only person I know who keeps them has 2 that are over 10 years old still lay and have never gone broody!

 

[sourland]

Game fowl hens of any variety are great at setting, raising and especially protecting chicks.

 

[Coops Dad]

Our Black Copper Marans hens are the broodiest hens I've ever seen. If my wife skips gathering eggs for a day, the "best" nesting box will have one of our BCMs in it, flattened and growling if you come near. I think they'd set on a pile of rocks if they saw it.

 

[sourland]

I’ll have to look into those. I’ve heard they are good free rangers too! Thank you!

also generally predator savvy. The only drawback is that if you hatch any of their eggs the cockerels will have the game instinct to fight. In my experience game fowl roosters are the least human aggressive but by far the most rooster aggressive birds.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Hot climate, hatch and raise would be nice but just hatch is good too as it’s better than what I have right now. I’m okay with bantam or full size. My birds free range so NO SILKIES or COCHINS Please. I already said in my original post and that’s all anyone is recommending.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How long does a hen get off her eggs to eat/drink/walk around?

Pretty much what Natj said. I've seen a broody hen get off her nest twice a day and spend about an hour of each time. I've seen a hen come off once a day for about 15 minutes. Often I don't see them off the nest at all but since they are not pooping in the nest they are coming off.

Some breeds are more likely to go broody than others but it is a very individual thing. Regardless of breed, some hens never go broody. Regardless of breed some go broody a lot. I've had two different hens wean her chicks at three weeks, leaving them alone to make their own way with the flock. The chicks did. I've had some take care of their chicks for well over two months before weaning them. I've had hens stop taking care of their chicks at night but care for them during the day. I've had hens take care of the chicks at night but not during the day. It's not just that each hen is different, each time is different. The same hen can have totally different results every time.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

My Marans seem to be fairly broody. I think mine are bread to be broody, my supplier is always working on a new Marans project. I also have a splash Windotte who is currently broody.
Let me know if you want my Marans guy's information. He is really great and has beautiful birds.
The Marans also stay with their babies for months teaching important chicken lessons.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I have 2 proven broody girls in my flock. 1 is my Black Copper Marans hen who decided to sit at 7 months old after only laying for about a month. She was a good mother and kept her chicks until they were 7 weeks old last summer. She is toying with the idea of doing it again and if she commits I'll give her eggs. My other hen, is a game hen, her mission in life is to be raising chicks, and there is no breaking her. Tried in the past, and it would last for maybe a week and she'd start up again so now I don't even stop her. She is the best mother though, fiercely protective of her babies, and hangs onto them until they are at least 4 months old and bigger then she is. Once she lets her chicks go, it takes about 2 weeks until she's back to laying, and will lay for a week then start hiding her eggs to start the process all over again. The old bat is on day 2 of incubating her newest clutch.

 

[Billy Mahone]

This little cutie pie called Panda is without a doubt my favorite chicken of all time.
She went broody in October last year and hatched 10 out of 13 eggs.
Early in Feb, she went broody again and as i didn't have any fertile eggs, i had to get her out of it.
People tell her breed is Cochin

This is her now...2 of her daughters who are 4 months old sit with her when she is laying an egg lolz

 

[AOrchard]

I've had three sets of hens reliably go broody:

A hen I brought from a swap, who the seller gave away for a dollar because she kept running away from home to go broody in the woods. A hen with a history of broodiness is your best bet. You might be able to trade a non-broody hen for a broody hen, especially if you live near a city with urban chickens. Folks that don't raise chicks don't want persistent broodies since they lay fewer eggs. Opportunity there for you!

Backyard mixes from a flock that has sustained itself through broodies only for 10 years (owner just traded out roosters once a year for generic diversity). This is excellent natural self selection and chicks from a broody mama are more likely to be broody themselves.

My D'uccle and D'uccle x Silkie hens. Silkie *crosses* can keep the broodiness while having less of the silkie features that you are concerned about for free ranging. I wouldn't free range a silkie either, but my crosses seem much better. If you are open to a cross you may find some success there.