Broody Breed Recommendations

[cmom]

In the spring and early summer most breeds will go broody, Silkies are the champions. I have a RC RIR and a SC RIR that every evening when I collect the eggs have to take them out of nest boxes. I would think they would get the memo. I do have eggs in my incubator but I have more eggs than broody's, it works better for me. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Chestnut Hill]

In the spring and early summer most breeds will go broody, Silkies are the champions. I have a RC RIR and a SC RIR that every evening when I collect the eggs have to take them out of nest boxes. I would think they would get the memo. I do have eggs in my incubator but I have more eggs than broody's, it works better for me. Good luck and have fun...

Thank you!

 

[AlleysChicks]

My silkies just turned a year and have been broody 2x since they started laying eggs. My bantam Cochin and Porcelain D’Uccle are also great broody moms. One of my Easter Eggers is on round 3 of being broody and she turned 1 in April. My Buff Orp is currently broody for the first time and mean as a snake. I had a production Red Cross last year go broody also.

 

[red horse ranch]

I think my Australorps are the broodiest chickens I've ever had. I hatched 3 last summer and all 3 have been broody this summer. One of them is brooding her 2nd batch.

Australorps are cold hardy and very easy to tame and handle when they are brooding or raising chicks.

 

[varidgerunner]

Asils. Have had asils go broody at six months of age. Usually raise multiple broods a year. Have had them do five. Had one hatch eggs in -12 weather with snow blowing through the cracks of the barn. Had one hatch out chicks that I took and put in a brooder, because I had eggs shipped in. Shipped eggs no good, so I gave her some more and she hatched them, and then hatched another batch in the fall. Must not have hurt her, she is five now and setting on her second batch this year. They live a long time, know of an asil hen that hacthed her own chicks at the age of fourteen. Twenty years old is not unheard of. One of mine beat a skunk into the fetal position for messing with her babies. Her dad killed a 'possum. Have seen video and heard of more than one instance of them driving away or killing hawks. Stories of them killing cobras in their homeland. While they don't like other chickens, they are the calmest and gentlest chicken you can find toward their people. The males are especially laid back. I let one ride in the truck with me every now and then. Even the males are broody at times.

 

[varidgerunner]

Broody hens come from broody roosters.

 

[cmom]

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

my neighbor has a broody frizzle roo! SO cute how he acts like the mother!

 

[PrettyChickens15]

It seems like everybody loves Silkies. They sound like they might be less-hardy and higher maintenance. Do you find that to be true?

The only thing about silkies I have noticed is that all of mine have never lived past 4 years due to snakes and hawks. Since they're so small its easier for them to get killed
I'm sure you know to make sure broodys eat and drink, but I recently had my silkie (SweetPee) pass away because she was so devoted to her eggs she refused to eat and drink. I was on vacation during that time so my grandpa was taking care of the pets or I would have been able to prevent it from happening.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I loved owning silkies, but they aren’t very hardy, unfortunately. I have a Black Copper Maran that recently weaned her first clutch, layed for a couple of weeks and is currently sitting on her 2nd batch of eggs!! She is such a good mama and is not aggressive when managing her nesting box (to add clean bedding, candling the eggs, etc) or when handling her chicks.