Reliable Broody Breeds

[Katy]

Quote:
I agree about Marans...mine spend more time setting than they do laying!!!

 

[Marlinchaser]

My Amerucana is great, insisted on sitting in December hatched 11/12 in Jan. she lays couple of eggs then starts sitting again. I spend more time trying to convince her not to sit. My Arucana and EE's, and a Cuckoo Maran have also taken turns, they hatched guineas too, so an extra week on the eggs.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

orpingtons are great broodies

 

[carwinew]

I sell my eggs so I like to keep my chickens producing. The 2 cuckoo marans and a buff orpinton
are my broody hens. The marans tuck so many eggs under themselves you can see them under their wings. Those 2 get my vote.
However, there is a Storeys poultry breed book at our local library. It has pictures of all the different breeds along with descriptions. The description includes whether or not they are known for being broody and/or good mothers. You might want to look for it. I wrote down info on all the breeds I might want in the future before I took the book back but naturally I cant find the paper now.

 

[ginasmarans]

Oh, I just had to add that I also have 2 white leghorn hens on eggs at the present time. It might be something in the water at our place.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Quote:

No way!

 

[ginasmarans]

Yep,it's true. I'll try to get pictures when the hatch their chicks. I think these are the same two that went broody last year. They make fierce,devoted mothers.

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
I have some of the ameraucans sisters ! and also A marans none have gone broody but they are just pullets so next spring I bet I will be going nuts

 

[keljonma]

We have a mixed flock - one each hen of the following breeds... the number next to each shows how many times each has gone broody since June 2006.

Silver Lakenvelder 0
Gold Laced Wyandotte 1
White Wyandotte 1
Columbian Wyandotte 1
Dominique 1
Partridge Plymouth Rock 0
Rhode Island Red 0
Jersey Black Giant 7 and broody now
Buff Orpington 0
Delaware 0
Silver Spangled Hamburg 0
Golden Penciled Hamburg 1
White Faced Black Spanish 0

So my pick would definitely be Jersey Black Giant. She is very gentle and lets us pet her while sitting on the eggs. She only leaves the nest box once a day, so when it is really hot out, I have to put a waterer in the nest box with her to make sure she stays hydrated. Our hen is an excellent mom and stays with her chicks until they are about 4 weeks old. Last year, she hatched one of her eggs and that pullet (mixed Golden Campine x Jersey Black Giant) is now broody also at 10 months of age.

 

[fowlafoot]

My game hens beat every other breed I have hands down... Ninja hatches her first brood in February, her second in April and the last in June every year, most of the rest only go broody twice a year. They are fantastic mothers too and very protective.