How old do chickens get before going broody?

[LaurenV]

Thanks again! I hope that I can get some Silkies and Cochins so I will be able to get a few chicks to sell!

 

[bobertyork]

I would suggest a standard cochin if you are looking for a good broody hen. They have more feathers and are great moms.

 

[Arielle]

I bought chicks from Mcmurray in early Feb and a buff orpington went broody in the fall and hatched a good number of the eggs. THen a black astrolorp wnet broody and she also did a good job. This poor girl had to cope with other hens forcing their weay into her nest box and dropping her a new egg to add and she was happy to take on more eggs. On hatch day I took all the chicks and put the remaining eggs in an incubator; total of 35 chicks. Yikes!

Both these girls were young. 9-10 months old. Diligent moms.

GL

 

[HEChicken]

This poor girl had to cope with other hens forcing their weay into her nest box and dropping her a new egg to add and she was happy to take on more eggs. On hatch day I took all the chicks and put the remaining eggs in an incubator; total of 35 chicks. Yikes!

That's why its a good idea to separate a broody hen from the rest of the flock. Is there a way you can cordone off an area for your broody's so the rest of the flock isn't squeezing in to add eggs every day?

 

[jrosemoore]

Still waiting for my silkie to lay. So then she'll be my living incubator

 

[jwilson48]

i got a bunch of black australorps because i wanted hens that would go broody because i didn't want to have to fool with an incubator. well here it is 9 months later and i now own an incubator with auto egg turner and have 20 eggs in there. i gave up on those chickens going broody. my dad has australorps and leghorns and he had two chickens go broody this summer...both leghorns. go figure. he let one hatch her eggs and the other has been broody for 2 months and he won't let her hatch any. you can't help but feel bad for her she won't give up!

 

[jrosemoore]

I had all types of breeds back in 2009. Wyandoottes, australorps, buff orpingtons, and quite a few leghorns. The best broody I ever had turned out to be a rhode island. She would let me pick her up from her brooder pen daily, go for a quick walk, and then get back to business on those eggs. That was it. She raised up a bunch of guinea keets as her own and sadly one day lost her life in a dog attack. Then my other rhode island adopted them as her own. Crazy things. I was taught RIRs were mean and couldn't go broody. Hah! Hardly!