How big of a chance do I have of getting a broody? (Big grin)

[wordgirl]

I know everyone else DOESN'T want a broody, but I want one! Though probably after I say this I'll have a bunch and be sick of them, but....

We have Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, Black Sex-Links, and Gold Links. Do you think I have a pretty good chance of having at least one broody this spring?

I'm so silly...but chicks are so adorable!!!

 

[HEChicken]

Hey, you're not alone - I'm looking forward to having a broody sometime too. I'd like to hatch chicks but don't want the expense of a 'bator - plus I see too many posts of people having problems hatching. I figure I'll just wait to have a broody and let her do the incubating for me. No thermometers, hygrometers, concerns over power outages or temperature spikes. Plus, she can raise them for me too so I won't have to set up a brooder!

Of the breeds you have, the Buff Orpingtons are most likely to go broody. Any sex links are very unlikely to brood because broodiness has been bred out of them. I'm not for sure on the Australorps or Plymouth Rocks, but I don't *think* they go broody that often.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Buff orpingtons allegedly go broody fairly often, but I've never had a broody BO myself. If you want something that will almost certainly go broody, you could always get yourself a silkie! They're famous for their motherly aspirations.

Good luck! Broody hens are so fun to have--my serama went broody a few weeks ago, and now I've got adorable serama chicks!

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
I have one right now-and BROODY she is. She doesnt move! I wont put eggs under her because its too cold for chicks outside in coop-plus incubator is running-I picked her up off of nest yesterday-after she pecked the heck out of my hand and put her on the snow-hoping to "wake" her up. She never moved for 10 minutes-so I brought her back in and hand fed her and held her to the waterer-she ate and drank and went right back to her empty nest! 3 weeks now!

 

[lauralou]

I also think your Buff Orps are your best chance. I had 2 (hatchery) BO's and they were very, very broody. I still have one of them, and she is one of the three hens that I use for hatching all the time. She's an excellent momma.

Also agree that the sexlinks are your worst chance. My sexlinks don't have a broody bone in their bodies. But then again, anything is possible! Any given hen can go broody. Maybe.

My other broodies are 4 (heritage) Dominiques and one old mixed breed hen. She's the queen! I also used to have a bunch of broody Blue Andalusians, if you can believe that.

Good luck with it. It really is the neatest thing to let a hen hatch eggs for you.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I agree, your BO's are your best chance.


I waited and waited for a broody and never got one, so I bought an incubator, eggs and hatched out my own chicks. Still no broody! And now that my BO is gone, I don't know that I'll get one for quite some time. I'm going to hatch out BBS Orps though, so maybe I'll get a broody when they grow up.

 

[wordgirl]

Is there anything I can do, when the time comes, to encourage broodiness?

Well, we have four BO's, so hopefully one of them will turn out eager to be a mother. Though, they are almost nine months old and none have gone broody yet. Is it more common that hens go broody in the spring, or do they have little preference regarding what time of year it is?

 

[pkeeler]

Out of the first 11 hens I had, 6 went broody. All at once. One is broody now. Hard to believe you won't get one. Instead of picking up all the eggs, leave a few in a nest and see if anyone sits on them. If you are worried about eggs being broken, put in fake eggs, or golf balls.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

I have six BA's. At least 4 went broody last summer. Some several times and some were QUITE determined!

 

[davidb]

I keep two games hens just for that reason, Best sitters and mothers bar none