Best breeds for broody hens?

[kerbotx]

My broodies are a weird lot - Black Copper Maran (two of them!), Welsummer, Chocolate Orpington, and now a small, white chicken of uncertain origins (maybe California White mix?). I think it's kind of a crapshoot, but having nice, dark laying spaces helps - maybe!

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[EllieandOlive]

My australorp and bantam brahma are super broody. My bantam even hatched duck eggs lol.

 

[Just Don]

Great read.... I feel kind of broody now..

 

[lil_nyixx]

I’ve heard that Australorp has a very strong since of motherhood and go very broody- not sure though, my girl lays but doesn’t seem broody.

 

[Katiewshrum]

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!

The only hen I have had to go broody is a buff orpington. She has gone broody probably 5 times in the last year. She is actually broody for the 6th time right now. Unfortunately, she has only hatched her eggs once, the last time in January. Something always seems to happen when she is in the last day or two that makes her leave the eggs; tornado, loose dog, etc...
She is maybe 3 years old. All my other buffs just turned one year old and none of them have gone broody yet. But I wouldn't be surprised if they all do when they're another year or two older.

 

[BDutch]

I have 2 different breeds. My tiny Dutch are great broodies. The other bantam breed (Tournaisis) do not.

I know Wyandotte’s are great broodies too. My neighbor had a few great mommie chickens. And in general you can say the old breeds or heritage breeds do a lot better than the new laying ‘machines’ . Hens need to take a brake to become broody.

my Dutch broodies
I like to help nature a little if I want chicks. If I want one to go broody I leave 4 (fake) eggs or pingpong balls in the laying nest where I want the broody to stay put. The first or second day a chicken with interest checks the nest, comes and goes. The next days she wanders a lot and only goes to the nest for a couple of hours. She will lay more eggs in the nest for a few days. After about 4 - 5 days she stops laying and sticks on the eggs. This is the moment to replace the ping pong balls for marked eggs of my choice.

Another broody is likely to accompany her and then I have 2 broodies on one nest. Extra eggs are easy to take out if the others are marked. This makes it easy for the 2 hens to leave the nest for an hour. And raising chicks is more fun for them too I suppose.

But two times I had three broodies on one nest. This fighting over a nest is NOT okay. I had to close the ‘gate‘ to make sure the broodies could brood peaceful.

 

[Chamisagal]

Phoenix hens do great in heat. Not good layers but good broodys & mamas. Separate from the chicks at 5-7 weeks.

 

[AllyTCat]

I have an Easter egger pullet that has been very broody recently, I have two but the other one isn’t too broody. I’m not sure if all Easter eggers would do that, but ours do. I feel so bad that the eggs aren’t fertilized for her.