Best broody breed?

[Farmerboy16]

I am looking for a LF breed that broods at least 2 times a year to hatch chicks, instead of using the incubators. I had a mutt hen that always went broody 3 times a year, and was a very good mother, she was a Isa Brown/California Gray cross. I read on here that some of the games are the best, but which games? Where can I find a dozen eggs or so?

Thanks.

 

[jd08]

My buff orpington hen is very broody!

 

[Farmerboy16]

I do have buff orpingtons, but they only brood once a year. I am looking for a LF breed that broods multiple times a year, like bantam silkies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My issue with bantams is they can't brood very many eggs.
I have 2 BOs that have been broody 3 times in a year. Don't know if it was one or both cause I can't tell them apart.
I've had an Ameraucana, Frizzle Delaware and now a Black Leghorn go broody and hatch chicks but I doubt any of those breeds are reliably broody.

Cochins are supposed to be very broody.
Also on the list you should look at are Araucana, Australorp, Brahma, Sussex, Sultans, Phoenix, Nankin, Old english game, Modern game, Langshans, Java, Cubalaya, Dorking.
Penedesenca are supposed to be too but none of mine have though they've only been laying a couple months. One of my Orps went broody after laying about 3 weeks. I gave her eggs the second time and she had a 100% hatch with 13 eggs.

So if I had to recommend LF I'd say Cochins and Orps.

 

[GotGame]

American game hens are real good broodies, but asil hens are hands down better broodies than any others I have seen.

 

[GotGame]

Quote:
I have old english bantams, and modern bantams. A lot of old english lines have somewhat had the broodiness bred out of them, show lines mainly. Moderns can and will go broody, but you are lucky if one can hatch out 5 eggs, simply because they are hard feathered, and dont have much body OR feather to fluff and flatten out to cover eggs.

 

[jd08]

Wyandottes are also good broody hens!

 

[appychick]

I am not sure if there is a broody breed. Just an occasional bird of any breed can decide to become a brood machine . Leave out a huge pile of eggs & you will get more broody hens than you need ! All it takes is visible eggs & my standard hatchery BO,BSL,NH,RIR hens & bantam cochins become broody. I got a few silkies for broodies as have read nothing except the postive aspects of silkies as brooders. Well my silkies never read the book about what they were supposed to do ! Two waited until the nest of eggs got to be too large for them both to cover. Then they have proceeded to set for about 3 months now with taking their daily break to eat & relieve themselves while allowing the other hens to refill their nest of more eggs. But they will not win mother of the year award as have killed or maimed more chicks than they have allowed to live. If I can't snatch the chicks away as fast as they hatch,they try their best to peck them to death....I have a mutt bantam cross-heritage unknown but crested partridge in color- that is the best mom hen I have ever seen as was her bantam cross mom also. Mine are all hatchery birds & have had up to a third being broody at once as it seems to be contagious at my yard.

 

[Farmerboy16]

I have had over 20 broody hens out of over 100 laying hens of different layer breeds this year, the broody ones are Buff Orpingtons, BCM, White Rock, Barred Rock, EE, a white leghorn and some mutts. All were hatchery stock. Due to a disease, I have to cull all of my chickens, and start over with breeder's stock only. I want a breed just for brooding chicks to build up my flock number without using the incubator at all, will be using the incubators to hatch chicks for people. So, the breed that I am looking for does not have to be great layers.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
I agree 100%