Not Broody From the Feed Store?????? cont.

[kbuckland]

OK last year I bought 12 chicks from the feed store. 9 ended up being pullets. Well Spring has come around and no eggs have been hatched. They dont sit on them at all. They kiinda drop em and run... My neighbore told me that her mother said that if they are purchased as day old chicks nlike from the store they will never be broody. She says that basically you need to buy chicks that have been raised by the mother hen or they wont know to brood? is that the right term?? anyhow does anyone know how true that is? It sounds sensible to me. Please share any advice or expereince witrh the subject.




thanks,

karla

 

[Wifezilla]

Broodiness has to do with the breed of the chicken. Some have lost that instinct.

I have ducks. One breed I have isn't supposed to go broody but did any way so even breed isn't a 100% indicator.

Now if you really need a broody, just pick up a silkie hen. Those crazy things will hatch out anything

 

[SpringChickens]

I've had several chicks that ended up becoming broody hens that were bought as day old chicks (mail-order). It's all about which breed they are, not how they were raised. They were GREAT mama's, too.

 

[Frogtown]

Silkies are not a sure thing, I have had two since 2007 that haven't been broody yet. Now cochins, they are very broody. I had three that went broody in one pen that shared
9 eggs and all hatched. They shared the chicks too. Even the rooster helped out by letting the chicks get under him when they were cold.

 

[Wifezilla]

Awww...how cute is that?

 

[okiehen]

What breeds are they, this is what makes a hen brood or not.
You have breeds that are bred to lay eggs, lots of eggs. You have breeds that have the broody bred in them.
Large breeds that will brood are, ( just some)there are more
Orpingtons
Dominiques
Ameraucana / Araucana/ Easter Eggers
New Hampshire Red
Delaware
Jersey Giant
Australorp
Sussex
Chanteclers
Turkin
Sumatra
Cochin
Brahma
American Game

Then you have breeds that will brood (( occasionally))
Wyandotte
Buckeye
Welsummer
Marans
Faverolles
Rocks
there are more

Then you have the breeds that never do but some have but not the norm
(just a few)
Lakenvelder
Hamburgs
Andalusian
Leghorns
Red and black sex links
Campine
Spitzhauben
Polish
Sultan

Then you have bantam breeds that will brood and some that don't.

A broody hen can raise a clutch of leghorn chicks but this wont make the leghorn hens want to brood .
Its all about the breed. Hope this helped.

 

[stuckinthecity]

A broody hen can raise a clutch of leghorn chicks but this wont make the leghorn hens want to brood .
Its all about the breed. Hope this helped.

Very well put okie.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have two BO, both raised by a mother, that I ask everyday, Please go broody. They just jump off the nest with great glee and never look back! I want a broody!!! Darn it

 

[okiehen]

Mrs. K :

I have two BO, both raised by a mother, that I ask everyday, Please go broody. They just jump off the nest with great glee and never look back! I want a broody!!! Darn it

Are you leaving fake eggs or golf balls in the nest? You need at least 3 , 4 or 5 works best. And is your nest boxes in a dark enough location in your coop. If not hang up some nest curtains I made some from old blue jeans. Works great.
I have had 16 broody hens so far this year, with some still to go broody. All of my buff Orps have gone broody this year.
All I need is more brood coop pens LOL

 

[Mrs. K]

I do have a nest with fake eggs in, but they don't even lay there, however, someone laid an egg in a darker nest that no one had been using for sometime. Maybe I will pile a couple eggs there. I want someone to go broody. mk