Do your Black Australorp hens go broody?

[mahsmaj]

I have a black autralorp hen and was wondering if she will ever go broody... and will she be a good mother if she does? Tell me about your black australorps!

 

[Kim_NC]

We have one who went broody in Nov. She was 14 months old at that time. I call her Selene.

She had 6 eggs. She hatched all 6 chicks + raised another 14 from other stock! Here she is with all 20 of them at just a 3 or 4 days old - only 4 chicks are visible, the others are all under her:

Selene was a great mom, didn't lose a single one. She was laying again in 5 weeks. I hope she'll go broody again this year.

 

[skeeter9]

Yep, ours goes broody a couple of times a year and she is an excellent mother. She has even adopted chicks from other hens and raised them as her own.

 

[wilds of pa]

Kim_NC, that is such a sweet picture..

Thanks for sharing it..they know were the warmth is..

Charlie

 

[mahsmaj]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Carolyn]

The pic is way too cute.
So glad to find this thread. My Aussie is very sweet but low in the pecking order. I took her out of the run today for her protection and decided to confine her in a small coop, put some eggs in the nest and see if she could get in the mood. MAYBE!?!?!?
I'd like a pic of my own.

 

[Kim_NC]

Glad all of you enjoyed the pic. Yep, chicks surely know where to run for warmth.

 

[sgt chick]

My australorp(blackbetty) is the sweetest in my flock of 3. No eggs yet but i hope she is broody. She is at the bottom of the pecking order as well.

 

[Carolyn]

I had a broody Aussie last year and she had a poor hatch (more my fault than her's). However I got her 8 babies chicks and gave them to her the next night and she did a great job of raising them.
I have one that hatched 100% Monday and she is doing a great job.

 

[Gypsy52]

Hey folks remember I cleaned and renovated my hen house.. I got 5 grown hens and rooster.. Australorpes..Guinevere was missing last night.. it's 60 70 in the day.. 40 at nite.. I figured she had a nest somewhere.. my neighbor found it today, kind of open but in the tree pile she had.. found a dozen eggs.. if they didn't freeze before she sat on them.. a dozen I'm figuring at least 4 make it, I covered the wood openings with sheets of straw to incubate her as its dropping down to 20s, not touching nest or eggs, hope it keeps her warm enough..week of April 4th birth week

.. keep our fingers crossed.. I know some are fertile as the rooster liked her..I'm trying to just let theme be natural, bit I gotta tell ya I wish she'd waited till april