Looking for a broody hen... which breeds?

[milleryardchx]

I'm starting to raise a few of my chickens for breeding i would rather have a broody hen sit on eggs rather than using an incubator what is a good breed for being more broody than others? None of my hens have been broody in the last 2 years.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Some of my buff orpington hens are always broody. The others don't seem to care.

 

[THunter]

My Buff Orpingtons and RIR's are about to go in the stew pot because all they want to do is set.

 

[sundance]

I have RIR and I wish they at least 1 go broody, They just don't want to.

marrie

 

[Puddle Foot Farm]

My silkie is less than a year old and already hatched out seven chicks from seven eggs. I think it took her about.. 8 months to go broody? She'd only been laying for about two. She's dumb as a doornail, but apparently found her calling in life.

 

[milleryardchx]

I have leghorns, Australorps, Golden Sex Links, Buff Orpington, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Red and Buff Barhma none have ever gone broody! and i'm hatching black copper eggs right now and when they start laying in 6 or 7 months I want a broody hen for their eggs.

 

[ChickenCharmer]

Heck, mine go broody all the time! Here are my best:

Black Sumatra
Red Shouldered Yokohama
OEGB (they are great mamas but are so small they can only handle a few chicks at most
Sebrite-same as OEG
Japanese Bantam- same as OEG
Silkie
Australorp
Minorca (my minorca is the broodiest ever, but this breed is generaly not broody)

And game birds are also excellent broodies!

 

[Debbienmousey]

So far our most broody hatchery breeds are R.I.R.s. Last year we had 2 R.I.R.s go broody and hatch chicks. This year we've already got 1 R.I.R. mommy. (She hatched keets

)

Aside from that I hear game breeds and Silkies are the best broodies. I hear that Cochins and Buff Orpingtons are also good broodies, although my friends which own purebred Buffs don't have good luck with them going broody.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Wow - must really depend on the bird. We also have RIR's, BR's and red & black sex links and not one has ever gone broody and they're almost 2 years old.

Out of my 8 BO hens, two are MAJORLY broody (to the point where I can't move them or they snarl and bite) and two others who set until I kick them off their eggs daily. The other 4 BO's aren't interested.

Very interesting topic.

 

[Kev]

Marans often are said to be very broody birds in their second year. So far seems to be bear out with the ones I have. One really young pullet(not even 8 months old yet) went broody this year though.. she's taking care of chicks right now already.