Broody ISA brown! The impossible happened and now i need tips.

[Lucifer123]

The impossible happened, my 1.5 yr old ISA Brown has gone broody, all bald belly, pissed off and has consistently stayed in her nest for 3 days, defending it vigorously from the others.

Has anyone had luck with letting your ISAs brood? How are they as mothers once the chicks are here? Shes not tame but definitely not a bad hen either.
And yes i do have a rooster, a Maran X who has fathered a few previous clutches with success, although by incubator and broody cochin.

 

[nuthatched]

It's not impossible for sex links to become broody but it's rare. Just let her proceed if you want more chickens.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I have/had over a hundred isa browns over the past 7 years, & yep several have gone broody and raised chicks. The first time it happened i didnt take the situation seriously, due to common perceptions that "isa browns dont go broody." But that isa brown (named Fussy) hatched her eggs and was an Excellent mother. They have All been excellent mothers. I am no longer surprised when i find a puffed-up, pancaked isa brown hen in a nestbox.

You didnt ask, but my broody ISA browns have also all been very trusting in letting me interact handle/ interact with their chicks. I cant say the same about some of my other broody breeds!

 

[neo71665]

I don't think it's really so much rare. I seem to get at least one a year and I let the hen hatch.

Got one right now with 2 chicks. And yeah all mine seem to care less about me reaching under them to remove eggs or messing with their chicks.