Best Brood Hens

[Chickenman1994]

American gamefowl make awesome mommas

 

[EveLa]

While I'm not the biggest fan of five toed breeds, I can't think of any purebred chicken that is a better at raising chicks than an older Dorking. Once older they stay broody, and they will raise their chicks (especially the pullets) for way longer than most breeds. The Dorking crosses are hit or miss, but generally still spend a long time raising their young. I say all this discounting the various game breeds. Which are better at everything except for making meat and eggs, although that is more than likely what you are interested in. What are you goals? Situation? Setup? If you don't mind sharing..

They're beautiful birds, I've never heard of them!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I can't keep my Silkies from going broody. I used to try to break them, but gave up. I have two, and there is always one who is broody. Sometimes, they both are. And they will go broody in an empty nest. No clutch and no fake eggs needed. They're insane.

Come spring, I'm tempted to wait until they are both on a nest together, shove some day old chicks under them, and let them sort out whose is whose - lol!

 

[cmom]

From my experiences Silkies, Cochins and my Orpingtons were broody a lot. I have had other breeds too that are fairly broody, my Rhode Island Whites. I recently had a broody White Leghorn but she finally gave it up, but I would always take the eggs and make her get out of the nest box. I do use an incubator but hatch out a lot of chicks and I can control my hatches. Good luck and have fun...

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My Cochin (found out she's actual 8 instead if 6,) is a good mama.

Really, really, REALLY hoping that my silkies and Cochins grow to be broody

 

[Chickenman1994]

One of my game hens.

 

[HenneryTheEighth]

My least likely chicken to go broody just went broody. Caligula, my Ayam Cemani, a breed that “rarely” gets broody, looks like a feathery tribble at six months old.

 

[Jabebee13]

RiR Rhode island reds. I am naming my six pullets Lil Momma. Because I had a house nesting chicken momma. This is my second year with Rhode island reds.

 

[BoogieWight]

My least likely chicken to go broody just went broody. Caligula, my Ayam Cemani, a breed that “rarely” gets broody, looks like a feathery tribble at six months old.

That's so lucky. I wish that one of mine would. Out of curiosity alone. My cemani birds act differently than all my others (even stranger than my fayoumis). It would be really neat to see how they raise their little ones. The hens even have a strange call that is almost like a bark when they are roosting. I haven't remotely figured out yet what the call is for.

 

[sdm111]

Gamefowl