Best Broody Breeds?

[animalsrule1]

Well, last year I had one hen go broody, and it didn't really turn out well. Heart breaking lay, after three chicks hatched, she cracked her remaining eggs open and killed the rest of the babies. Later, two of her other chicks died, so all in all, I only got one successful chicken from the hatch. Now, from my understanding and research, that doesn't usually happen... So I'd like to try again.

This year, I got a new shipment of chickens of wonderful egg layers, and I've heard that most of these breeds go broody. So if anyone could let me know of their experiences with these breeds, it'd be greatly appreciated. Just wondering if it'd be better to buy an incubator or expect at least a couple of these guys to go broody.

- Seabrights (Bantam)
- Silkies (Bantam)
- Cochins (Bantam)
- Buff Orpingtons (Standard)
- Easter Eggers (Standard)
- Welsummers (Standard)
- Wyandottes (Standard, Silver and gold)
- Cherry Eggers (Standard)
- Brahmas (Bantam)
- Black Australorp (Standard)

 

[Aphrael]

Of the breeds you've listed, I have bantam cochins, EEs, bantam brahma and BAs. The cochins go broody at the drop of a hat and have made fabulous mothers. My EE's are almost 4 and have never gone broody, nor ever even acted like they might consider it. I DO have several RIRxEE Olive Eggers, and one of them goes broody about twice a year and is a really great mom. I only have 1 bantam brahma and she has never gone broody. In fact, she can hardly stand to even stay in the nest long enough to lay an egg!

Out of 4 BA's, only one has gone broody, and she was a pretty clumsy setter. Also have several RIRxBA crosses and none of them have gone broody yet either.

 

[Wyandottes7]

From your list, I've had a Silver Laced Wyandotte, an Easter Egger, and two Bantam Cochins. Neither my Wyandotte or my Easter Egger have gone broody. Most hatcheries breed out the broody trait in their standard egg layers, as broody breeds won't lay well.

My two Bantam Cochins did go broody, several times. Each one was quite persistant, though I never let them hatch eggs. With that said, my Cochins came from a breeder, not a hatchery, so they weren't bred mostly for egg production and might have been more apt to go broody.

 

[Aphrael]

My little cochins did come from a hatchery, but it didn't seem to slow them down on broodiness any.

 

[animalsrule1]

Oh gosh. Thanks guys. Well, I will definitely be watching my Cochin girls when they start laying!

 

[Blooie]

Well, guess I'm going to throw a monkey wrench into the works but there's always an exception to every rule. My Buff Orpington hasn't gone broody once. I got rid of the Wyandottes because the 5 of them had some sort of gang mentality - if one of them was picking on another pullet, all four of the other ones would come rushing in and join in until the poor victim was cowering as flat to the ground as she could get.

Now meet 8 month old Agatha, the Easter Egger. She went broody the first of September and stayed that way. We finally got her some hatching eggs and the first one hatched today. Still waiting for the others. She's done an amazing job...stuck tight on the nest and very protective. In fact, we've been calling her Atilla the Hen.


Agatha taking a break from sitting to grab a quick dust bath.


In her broody house...


First to hatch...

 

[mtngirl35]

I have an 19 month old Black Australorp and she has never gone broody. Barely stays in the nesting box long enough to lay an egg.

 

[alequeen]

I use sikies and pekin bantams as my broodies and have found them to be the best for me. When my pekins go broody its hard to stop them doing anything except sit on a nest