Polish Top Hats Broody???

[antiquebuff]

I have 26 Top Hats and have read they do not hatch eggs well. What I would like to know is ..Do they go broody? I have two that are laying and they have not gone broody so If anyone can answer my question I would appreciate it. I have 22 that will be laying soon and I am trying to decide how many to keep. The eggs are great! Thanks!

 

[antiquebuff]

Is there no one with Top Hats that can help me? I would appreciate any help .......

 

[slyfoxpeeps]

I only have 1 hen, and she went broody right off! Hatched a Silver marans chick for me. She was mean too, I didn't mess with her!

 

[P@P@2four]

Hello! My wife, M@M@2four could answer this for you....I'll have her post to you.

Editing for my wife to add her 2 cents. Here she is:

Hello...I own several Polish, both standard size and batams--I have never had one go broody and they won't sit on their eggs!!! The only reason why the whole breed exists to begin with is because us humans incubate their eggs. At least that's been our experience! They'll lay them all day long, but will not sit! I know--annoying!!!

So, if you want babies, get yourself an incubator or you could always just sell fertile eggs!!! They go for pretty good money!!!

Good luck!
God bless,
Tracey(M@M@2four)

 

[antiquebuff]

thanks so much for that reply! I don't mind if they don't sit because I have silkies that will do that for them!

 

[CritterHill]

Quick question (sorry to threadjack, but you seemed to have gotten your answer), how many eggs a week do you get from each polish hen?

I have 11 polish pullets, 5 weeks old, so no eggs yet. I know they aren't whizbang layers, but I am curious what the average is?

5 gold laced, 5 WC blues, 1 buff laced

Thanks!

 

[antiquebuff]

I only have two that are laying age and they began laying at 7 months old and I get an egg every other day from them. This has been going on for 2 months so I guess this is the average. They are wonderful hens and so gentle. I am glad they don't go broody because you loose so much laying time. I can put the eggs under my Silkies if I need more chicks, but I plan on selling eggs next Spring. Hope this helps! Good luck with yours!

 

[Anne]

I just had a Silver Laced Polish hen go broody. I was wondering why I wasn't getting any eggs from her (or so I though), and then a couple days ago she disappeared. Yesterday I found her sitting on a nest of 8 eggs hidden in the long grass.

This was very surprising to me, because I thought Polish chickens were supposed to be a non-sitting breed. This is my first year with Polish chickens, and I only have 3 adult Polish -- 2 hens and 1 rooster. The hens exhibit NO nesting instinct at all -- they totally ignore the nest boxes, and when they lay an egg, they just wander around looking anxious until they drop an egg in the middle of the floor. And they don't even sit on it for a bit like other breeds do. NO nesting instinct whatsoever. So I was totally shocked when I found this hen -- *gasp* -- on a NEST that she actually made herself!

I'm not sure she'll be a very good mother, however -- I observed her get off the nest today for food and water, and she stayed off WAY too long considering how chilly the weather is. But I'm pretty darn sure she's broody -- she makes those soft buk-buk-buk broody clucks while off the nest, and stays on it for the majority of the day and all night.

Weird...

 

[Anne]

P.S.

I just emailed the woman I got them from to ask if broodiness is common in her flock.