Best breeds for broody hens?

[Pullet Press]

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

Totally forgot about game fowl. That's a good breed for them.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

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

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

 

[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.

 

[cmobley]

I have golden comets thats went broody several times. One adopted 3 3 week old chicks I hatched and raised them for me.

 

[BoogieWight]

Game hens are hands down the best. It is hit or miss, but some of my dorking/game crosses are crazy good at raising their chicks. They will stay with their little ones so long that they are too big to get picked off by hawks and the like by the time they abandon them. The amount of times they go broody is lessened by this, but you see a much higher survival rate with less input from you.

 

[cluckingheck]

I think barred rock bantams are known to be broody while the standard size counterparts are not. though, i have a standard BR that went broody and raised her chicks until they were a little over 10 weeks old before weaning them. it’s a hit and miss with each individual chicken, though. You never know if they will go broody or not

 

[Elyrian1]

I've gotta pipe up for the Buff Orpingtons. I had six for over a year and had three different broodies in that time period. They tolerated 100F weather admirably well, were extremely cold hardy, very friendly when they weren't broody, laid eggs through winter at a decreased rate rather than stopping altogether, and were actually quite good foragers despite the reputation of the breed.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My broodiest so far have been AC.

 

[LapisLazuli]

OEGB for hot weather

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

What climate do you have? I can't imagine why silkies would be bad.