Best broody breed?

[msiler]

Maybe I'm trying to find a unicorn chicken breed, but here is what I am looking for!
Not just any old broody breed...
- Lay eggs that aren't cream/tinted colors
- Have a natural tendency to go broody
- Lay lots of eggs when they aren't broody
(The first two categories are 100% necessary, the third just desired )

I am looking for a breed of hen that I can keep with my Silkies who I can utilize to hatch out eggs, hence the need for the tendency to go broody trait.
The eggs need to be any color BUT cream, so I don't accidentally hatch out Silkie cross chicks! I currently have hatchery silkies as my broodies, but I can't tell whose eggs are whose and so I can't hatch out any chicks!! The third category is just for my own selfish benefit, who doesn't want a lot of eggs??
I don't care if they are standard breeds, as long as they aren't so big that they will crush the little Silkie eggs!

Let me know if you have any ideas, or if I'm living in a fantasy world!

 

[Compost King]

Marans go broody but not as often as Silkies. Dark brown eggs. You might need to get quite a few of them because not all of them go broody. But a flock of 5 or more you are likely to find a broody. Someone is likely to suggest an even better bird.

 

[ClearCreekGirl]

My best bodies have been silkies, bantam cochins, and Old English game hens, but all lay cream/tinted eggs. I've had a couple good broody Black Stars (brown eggs), but most of mine never go broody. And they can sometimes be bullies. I will be interested to hear if somebody has a "unicorn chicken!" Good luck!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

ANy Standard Bred duel purpose bird fits your bill. Don't get hatchery, find a local breeder of Standard Bred (breeder stock, not hatchery) Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, etc....

 

[AllenK RGV]

I suspect you will never go wrong with heritage breeds, I have to break the OEGB and Sumatras regularly and never let them see more than 4 eggs in a clutch.

Have a look:

 

[janiedoe]

I vote ( based on % of each breed in my own flock that goes broody)
1. Langshan (pinkish tint eggs but large)
2. Cuckoo marans (brown eggs with darker spots)
3. Orpingtons (tan eggs)

Good luck with your search

 

[Compost King]

Larger birds are not going to crush smaller eggs. Although there are some large birds who do crush eggs. Most breeds are not that large and just because the eggs are smaller doesn't mean they are more likely to get crushed, it actually makes it less likely.

 

[Quackter]

Itty bitty eggs, but it's hard to beat a batam for hatching. My Grandma called them bitties, not because they were tiny, but as a church going lady softening a word used more in kennels. (Or maybe that's where the term "bitty"came from, itty bitty hens?) Broody quite a lot, and pecking at us getting eggs.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Shell quality and temperment or experience of broody is the determining factor of eggs being crushed. It has nothing to do with size of egg.

A first time bad broody will crush turkey eggs. If the shells are thin any broody will break them when turning eggs. It's not about size of egg or size of bird. It's a natural thing and the birds are better at it than most of us.

 

[msiler]

Also, sorry it took me so long to respond to you all! I read all the responses and then forgot to reply...

So, my second question relating to all this has to do with heritage birds. I really don't like dealing with rehoming roosters because where I live, even my nice silkies take at least a month to sell! And I have only seen heritage breeders who sell straight run day old chicks or hatching eggs.

Does anyone have any experience with a hatchery that may sell more old-style breeds? I thought about My Pet Chicken, but I then read somewhere else that the Marans tend to have blood spots, and I have a Maran from them now (no, she is not consistently broody... ) who does just that! Big, beautiful, brown eggs, but I have to check each one before scrambling them for spots.

I would be most interested in Marans, or possibly Orpingtons, if that helps anyone out!