Is it crazy to get hens known for broody if you know you have to break them?

[heiditam]

I am considering getting a buff orp and a black australorp. I know both get broody but the buff has a pretty big reputation for it. We can't have roosters, so there will be no setting. Will I just create a huge headache for myself getting a broody hen if I intend on not letting her set? Is it hard to break her, will it be a constant nuisance, or is it a manageable thing and worth it to have such lovely breeds? They will be hatchery(mcmurray) if that makes a diff.

 

[Bunnylady]

Are you saying that these particular hens have shown a pattern of broodiness, or are you going by the reputation of the breed?

Even within the breed, there can be a wide variation in behavior. I have had several hatchery Buff Orpingtons, and only one ever went broody on me. I have had quite a few Silkies and Bantam Cochins, too; based on reputation, you might think I'd never have eggs, lol.

With most of mine, just keeping the eggs collected kept them off the nest. There are lots of threads about breaking up broody hens if one does go broody and you don't want her to, most involve keeping her bottom side cool (a lot of people use a cage with a wire floor as their "broody buster"). No method is totally foolproof. I once had a particularly stubborn Silkie that spent months "brooding" nothing in a wire-floored rabbit cage; I finally had to let her hatch a couple of eggs just to get her up!

But barring unforeseen, really extreme behavior like that Silkie, you shouldn't be put off from the two birds you mentioned simply because of their broodiness.

 

[donrae]

If you really want the breed in question, I'd say roll the dice. You can always sell the bird down the road if she's a persistent broody, or use her to raise day old hatchery/feed store chicks when you need replacement birds. Some folks do okay using a broody to raise sexed chicks and sell them around 6ish weeks, offsetting the loss of eggs from the hen.

 

[Michael OShay]

If I felt compelled to break my hens from their broodiness, I would get breeds that rarely go broody (as most of the birds in my flock are). I've raised both Black Australorps and Buff Orpingtons for years, and love both breeds, but I currently have 7 Black Australorp hens in my flock compared to only 4 Buff Orpingtons for that very reason. While both breeds are calm and gentle, my BAs go broody considerably less often than my BOs do and lay more eggs (5 per hen per week, occasionally 6) than my Orpingtons do (3 eggs per hen per week, occasionally 4).

 

[heiditam]

Are you saying that these particular hens have shown a pattern of broodiness, or are you going by the reputation of the breed?

Even within the breed, there can be a wide variation in behavior. I have had several hatchery Buff Orpingtons, and only one ever went broody on me. I have had quite a few Silkies and Bantam Cochins, too; based on reputation, you might think I'd never have eggs, lol.

With most of mine, just keeping the eggs collected kept them off the nest. There are lots of threads about breaking up broody hens if one does go broody and you don't want her to, most involve keeping her bottom side cool (a lot of people use a cage with a wire floor as their "broody buster"). No method is totally foolproof. I once had a particularly stubborn Silkie that spent months "brooding" nothing in a wire-floored rabbit cage; I finally had to let her hatch a couple of eggs just to get her up!

But barring unforeseen, really extreme behavior like that Silkie, you shouldn't be put off from the two birds you mentioned simply because of their broodiness.

Just basing it on reputation. I think I may be worrying about it too much, lol.

If I felt compelled to break my hens from their broodiness, I would get breeds that rarely go broody (as most of the birds in my flock are). I've raised both Black Australorps and Buff Orpingtons for years, and love both breeds, but I currently have 7 Black Australorp hens in my flock compared to only 4 Buff Orpingtons for that very reason. While both breeds are calm and gentle, my BAs go broody considerably less often than my BOs do and lay more eggs (5 per hen per week, occasionally 6) than my Orpingtons do (3 eggs per hen per week, occasionally 4).

Good to know-I am leaning towards BA instead of a BO mix now.

If you really want the breed in question, I'd say roll the dice. You can always sell the bird down the road if she's a persistent broody, or use her to raise day old hatchery/feed store chicks when you need replacement birds. Some folks do okay using a broody to raise sexed chicks and sell them around 6ish weeks, offsetting the loss of eggs from the hen.

OH I did not know you could do that with day old chicks! I am off to read about about that....