Do Rhode Island Reds ever go broody?

[Lacrystol]

I have two Rhode Island Red hens, I have had them for 2 years now, they have never ever sat on eggs or even had the desires too. Is this normal for this type of breed? or do they just take longer to get into the flow?

 

[Paco]

I dont think they go broody often, but I have one hen that went broody and lets just say she wasnt the best mother.

 

[instar8]

I think they bred the broody out of em...broodies don't lay, and RIRs are egg machines. Not to say it never happens.

 

[dmazaika]

They have been breed to not be broody, but just egg layers

 

[Fred's Hens]

Commercial lines of most breeds have had the broodiness bred out. Broodiness isn't a trait that egg sellers desire as it disrupts production. So, through selection, hens that showed signs of broodiness were not put into the breeding program, only those hens that did not have the tendency. Eventually, most of the strain demonstrates no broodiness or desire to brood.

But, try as they might, a broody shows up every once in awhile. Nature is funny that way. Even sex links, the pinnacle of commercial hens, have been ever so rarely known to go broody.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

One of our hatchery RIR's is due to hatch her brood tomorrow. I have no idea why she went broody at this late time, but so far she has been a good setter of the 8 FBCM eggs I gave her. We shall see what kind of mom she is. I have rough luck hatching marans eggs so I wanted to let nature try it when the RIR insisted on setting. She is in the henhouse in a regular nest. I will give her a few days protected in the nest with the chicks and then move the group down to the floor and let her free range with them.
We had 2 orps this year set in the henhouse and they did a wonderful job- no assimilation problems whatsoever.

 

[JD4570]

The ones I had didn't go broody until they were four to five years old and wouldn't set until July or later!

Crazy girls, I gotta love em.

 

[NanaLantana]

One of my RIR hens is on her SECOND round of broody! Her last ckicks are only 12 weeks old, she laid for a couple weeks, and now she's back at it. It doesn't help to dunk her, either! I wanted her for eggs, not chix -

 

[jennk74]

I have 17 Rhode Island Red hens and was told that they don't go broody, so we added 5 silkies to our flock ... all of a sudden 6 weeks ago one of the RIRs became broody and then last week another did! Our first clutch of eggs is just starting to hatch (we had to wait almost 3 weeks for fertile eggs, she stayed in her condition all this time) - so far so good. We picked up some heritage breed fertile eggs to put under broody hen #2. She doesn't move from her nest -- they both seem like naturals!

 

[thechxwhisperer]

My Rhode Island Red has gone broody too!