Broody breeds

[bigz1983]

March of 2018 my wife and I got 8 hatchery stock buff orpington 1 day old pullets from Family farm and home.
We wanted buff orpingtons because they are known to go broody.
Well apparently hatchery stock buff orpingtons don't go broody because we have had them 1.5 years now and no broodys.
We have used Silkies before as broodies but we want a large breed chicken that goes broody often.
We had a barred rock hen go broody in October of last year 2018 and she hatched out a buff orpington pullet.
It was ironic because we got the buff orpingtons hoping they would go broody but it was the barred rock that we didn't expect to do it.
Well the barred rock hen didn't go broody this year.
So we are looking for alternatives broody hens.
We have heard large fowl Cochins are 2nd to the silkie as the best broodies.
We have never had Cochins.
Anyone here have advice or experience with them?
How about any other large fowl breeds that go broody often we should consider?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Both standard and bantam cochins go broody. I've also had various hatchery stock breeds go broody repeatedly. Blue laced red Wyandotte, barnevelder, olive eggers, and polish to name the ones that come to mind currently.

The cochins are the most reliable for going broody. All of mine have gone broody multiple times a season, and most make great mothers.

 

[333113]

Most of the bantam breeds make great mothers and fathers, too. My direct experience is with Nankins, both single and rose comb, d'Uccles, Old English Games, and Sultans. They have all raised standard size and bantam birds for me, sometimes in mixed flocks. I usually remove the cockerels before they get bigger than daddy roo, to avoid accidental injuries.

Both standard and bantam cochins go broody. I've also had various hatchery stock breeds go broody repeatedly. Blue laced red Wyandotte, barnevelder, olive eggers, and polish to name the ones that come to mind currently.

The cochins are the most reliable for going broody. All of mine have gone broody multiple times a season, and most make great mothers.

This photo shows my Booted Bantam Mille Fleur pair, with the standard size Crevecoeurs and one standard size Easter Egger they raised from eggs.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Well, I'm sorry for your disappointment! My hatchery Buff Orps went broody right off the bat, shortly after they started laying, much to my amazement and then to my chagrin, not to say outright disgust! If memory serves, 5 of 6, or possibly all of them went into Major Mother Mode, resulting in 8 adorable baby chicks among them, 4 of which survived (hawks!), and one of which is now a handsome roo. This year only one of them considered going broody but I discouraged her out of it.

 

[bigz1983]

Well, I'm sorry for your disappointment! My hatchery Buff Orps went broody right off the bat, shortly after they started laying, much to my amazement and then to my chagrin, not to say outright disgust! If memory serves, 5 of 6, or possibly all of them went into Major Mother Mode, resulting in 8 adorable baby chicks among them, 4 of which survived (hawks!), and one of which is now a handsome roo. This year only one of them considered going broody but I discouraged her out of it.

I knew there was a chance that the hatchery stock wouldn't go broody.
Next time we will get a breed with more dominant broody genes.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

My hatchery brahmas have taken turns at broodiness, even my EE had gone broody right before she was killed.
Most of the large fowl birds will go broody, so long as you get the right stock. Most of the hatchery birds have a little something else mixed in to increase their egg production, which decreases the broodiness. If you notice... the birds that are listed with the highest production, are also the ones least likely to go broody.

 

[john_wrightson2003]

Ya know what, i am really wanting a bunch of broodies right now and i can not get 1, I havent even got one since i started keeping chickens (for the 3rd time), which was beginning of this yr, not one broody! My friends get em all the time, and they dont want broodies, so they just break em, NO FAIR right? I feel your pain!

 

[SueT]

I had a RIR that went broody about 4 times a year. I have a little Sebright that reliably goes broody once a month during warm weather, this is her 3rd year. My Buff Orp and Barred Rock in 3 years were never broody. All hatchery birds.

 

[Acre4Me]

Of all our breeds we have/had, the black Australorp are the breed that broods for us, so far. One is broody on a regular basis and has successfully raised 3 batches of adopted chicks. Her sister thinks about being broody, but so far has never sat for 3 weeks straight.

We have several other breeds just getting to POL, so time will tell which of these new-to-us breeds go broody.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Ya know what, i am really wanting a bunch of broodies right now and i can not get 1, I havent even got one since i started keeping chickens (for the 3rd time), which was beginning of this yr, not one broody! My friends get em all the time, and they dont want broodies, so they just break em, NO FAIR right? I feel your pain!

Wonder if your friends would swap one of their broody hens for one of your layers...?