Broody Hen Thread!

[PD-Riverman]

With a RIR mix, it would depend on which side the RIR is on and what the other side was.

Remember a commercial Black Sexlink is typically a RIR roo (or NH) over a Barred Rock hen. The pullets are black with red bleed through, some with almost no red at all. (I have one BSL gal that you would have to look hard to see any red while another has red only at the hackles while another is laced down her chest with red.)The BSL males look just like a Barred Rock with a bit more double barring effect but no red.

If you reverse the pairing, the Barred being the roo and the hen being the RIR, all the chicks look like the Barred, with little to no red bleed through (as my memory serves).

Lady of McCamley

Thanks, I am always Open minded to learning new things. Thanks for the Education!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I keep asking people if they want to sell their broody hens and it seems a "not gonna happen" situation. I don't blame them though, I wouldn't part with mine either:

I didn't know there was a broody tendency with the Plymouth Rocks. Thanks for those suggestions!

I think I forgot to follow up on your question...you may already be aware, but BYC has a swap thread. When I was looking for my first broody hen, I went to the swap threads, found a local swap listed that was in my area, and by connecting up with people on that, found someone willing to sell me their Silkie who was a good broody.

You might connect with Silkie people...twice now I've been able to locate someone with a proven Silkie broody who is re-homing her as she no longer fits into their breeding program. Silkies are a very broody breed, so I think the breeders tend to get too many broodies and are more willing to part with them. You might want to get two or more to work with the larger Malines....sisters, or mother and daughter, pairs often will co-brood together.

Ditto with bantam Cochins...they spread even better, and are a popular breed with 4-Hers so there may be a more available market.

I've wanted a full size Cochin, but have had trouble connecting with breeders for that one.

Good luck find another broody.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks, I am always Open minded to learning new things. Thanks for the Education!

You are welcome

Lady of McCamley

 

[ChickyChickens]

oOOOHHH my broodies eggs have started to hatch!! Im SOOO excited...

 

[A6chickenhome]

I think I forgot to follow up on your question...you may already be aware, but BYC has a swap thread. When I was looking for my first broody hen, I went to the swap threads, found a local swap listed that was in my area, and by connecting up with people on that, found someone willing to sell me their Silkie who was a good broody.

You might connect with Silkie people...twice now I've been able to locate someone with a proven Silkie broody who is re-homing her as she no longer fits into their breeding program. Silkies are a very broody breed, so I think the breeders tend to get too many broodies and are more willing to part with them. You might want to get two or more to work with the larger Malines....sisters, or mother and daughter, pairs often will co-brood together.

Ditto with bantam Cochins...they spread even better, and are a popular breed with 4-Hers so there may be a more available market.

I've wanted a full size Cochin, but have had trouble connecting with breeders for that one.

Good luck find another broody.
Lady of McCamley

Yes ,now I remember you sending that suggestion, thank you. I'm definitely gonna look into that. Maybe if I get sisters and they will co-brood then I can hatch as many as I need to at one time.

 

[grammabonnie]

Hi I am a new chicken owner since Spring. Never had a hen go broody before. My Wyandotte keeps going in the coop to a nest and sits there. She has no eggs under her at all. Everyday I lift her out and she goes right back in. Is this normal when they are not hatching eggs? We have no rooster. There are never eggs under her. It is warm in there so I was thinking maybe it was for the warm, but the other 7 hens are not doing that. I don't even see her go out to eat. Should I be concerned something is wrong with her? Any suggestions? Thanks,....... Back yard chickens and you folks have helped me so much. Love these chickens so much, they are really becoming pets. I work at the Y, so lots of eggs go to the senior citizens like myself who need them. They have a waiting list for my eggs. This is in Sumner WA, so it has been pretty cold I might add. And cold rain rain rain.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi I am a new chicken owner since Spring. Never had a hen go broody before. My Wyandotte keeps going in the coop to a nest and sits there. She has no eggs under her at all. Everyday I lift her out and she goes right back in. Is this normal when they are not hatching eggs? We have no rooster. There are never eggs under her. It is warm in there so I was thinking maybe it was for the warm, but the other 7 hens are not doing that. I don't even see her go out to eat. Should I be concerned something is wrong with her? Any suggestions? Thanks,....... Back yard chickens and you folks have helped me so much. Love these chickens so much, they are really becoming pets. I work at the Y, so lots of eggs go to the senior citizens like myself who need them. They have a waiting list for my eggs. This is in Sumner WA, so it has been pretty cold I might add. And cold rain rain rain.

Sounds Broody To Me!!

 

[grammabonnie]

How long do they do this? And when their broody, don't they go out and eat?

 

[RichnSteph]

Hi I am a new chicken owner since Spring. Never had a hen go broody before. My Wyandotte keeps going in the coop to a nest and sits there. She has no eggs under her at all. Everyday I lift her out and she goes right back in. Is this normal when they are not hatching eggs? We have no rooster. There are never eggs under her. It is warm in there so I was thinking maybe it was for the warm, but the other 7 hens are not doing that. I don't even see her go out to eat. Should I be concerned something is wrong with her? Any suggestions? Thanks,....... Back yard chickens and you folks have helped me so much. Love these chickens so much, they are really becoming pets. I work at the Y, so lots of eggs go to the senior citizens like myself who need them. They have a waiting list for my eggs. This is in Sumner WA, so it has been pretty cold I might add. And cold rain rain rain.

We've got a Silver Laced Wyandotte that is doing the same thing, only difference is that she's laying one egg a day and she gets very very angry when I pull her off the nest to collect the egg. Tomorrow if she's sitting on an egg again I'm moving her and her darn egg into a differing "mini-coop" so she can be by herself and not tie up a nesting box that we need for the other hens.

Luck!
RichnSteph

 

[grammabonnie]

Hi thanks for reply. We have no fertilized eggs, she just thinks they are I guess. Yesterday she sat there all day and had no eggs under her. Guess I'll lift her up and put her out in the yard again. Hopefully break her habit. We only want eggs, not chickis. I was so sure something was wrong with her, never experienced broodies before. Young hens, they just starting laying two months ago.