***BO OWNERS*** Do BO hens really go broody easily? Good egg layers?

[spartacus_63]

Quote:
Actually, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want at least one broody hen. As much fun as it is to watch the fuzzy butts grow, it doubles the fun for me to watch mother hen teach them how to eat and what scary food is not really all that scary.

 

[dandelionheart]

We've had issues with our three, two of them flirting with brooding (only lasted about a week) and Gloria... Gloria seems to be broody a lot. Right now I wouldn't consider her broody, but she likes to go and sit on the others' eggs even though she is on a laying hiatus (which is actually kinda nice, keeps them from getting too cold & freezing).

But it *is* nice knowing that if we ever wanted to have baby chickies all we would have to do is find some fertile eggs and she would help us out.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I just have one hatchery BO, she'll be two here in a couple of months and she is an excellent layer. She did not start going broody on me until her second year. This last spring, summer and fall she went broody on me ALL...THE....TME!!! I finally gave up constantly trying to break her of it and just let her do her thing. She didn't actually set any eggs, I collected them each day as usual. After most of the hens had laid for the day she just switched to the full nest box and sat on those until I picked them up! Every day when I did my morning and evening chores I would take her off the nest and shoo her out with the others where she would eat and drink and roam around a bit, albeit with an attitude. She normally keeps it up about a week now and then gives it up until the next time, which has gotten to be about once a month, and it's no big deal to me. Over the winter she doesn't go broody at all. Other then that she's a great hen, I like her a lot and the occasional broodiness doesn't bother me at all.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Out of my 8 hens, 3 have gone broody for a total of 6 times. I think they are really broody.

 

[txcarl1258]

I had one that went Broody often, but I had to "encourage" her to do it. I would wait until spring and would leave eggs in the boxes for a few days. It usually worked. In my experience they aren't like silkies who will try to hatch rocks!

 

[Break an Egg]

I got 2 BOs last spring/early summer as chicks, and one of them went broody around thanksgiving. She was so dedictated to her eggs and babies, she wouldn't even get off her nest. The feedstore I got them from ordered from Ideal.

 

[chickenlickin8]

Quote:
Actually, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want at least one broody hen. As much fun as it is to watch the fuzzy butts grow, it doubles the fun for me to watch mother hen teach them how to eat and what scary food is not really all that scary.

Broody hens with fuzzy chicks are fun and very cute however I mainly want the fun of having backyard chickens and the fresh eggs. The colors are beautiful too

 

[spartacus_63]

Quote:
Actually, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want at least one broody hen. As much fun as it is to watch the fuzzy butts grow, it doubles the fun for me to watch mother hen teach them how to eat and what scary food is not really all that scary.

Broody hens with fuzzy chicks are fun and very cute however I mainly want the fun of having backyard chickens and the fresh eggs. The colors are beautiful too

Gotcha. Still can't imagine not having broodies myself.

 

[chickenlickin8]

Quote:
Broody hens with fuzzy chicks are fun and very cute however I mainly want the fun of having backyard chickens and the fresh eggs. The colors are beautiful too

Gotcha. Still can't imagine not having broodies myself.

I told my husband we need to buy like 5 acres so I can have 100 chickens.....Broody Heaven ....LOL! He just shakes his head......

 

[bufforp89]

My first chickens were hatchery BOs from Welp.....Kept 15 hens, their first year 4 went broody. Then this past spring/summer 5 went broody, 3 were ones that had been broody previously though. I have had one broody out of them so far this winter and there is one that is starting to act broody but she is the daughter of the hatchery stock birds so

Point is, hatchery BOs do go broody...at least mine do lol