What breeds make the best broodies/mothers?

[shandiane78]

I know Silkies are known for going broody, but are they feisty enough to protect the chicks as well? What breeds are broody and protective mothers?

Thanks!

 

[Illia]

Shamos, Thais, Malays - Any Oriental Gamefowl. But good luck paying over $100 for one.

Last time I dealt with a broody who didn't even have chicks yet, just eggs, she bloodied my hand and really knew how to "twist and yank" the skin.

Oriental Gamefowl make GREAT moms and can be quite broody. I just handled a guy's Thais, he had 4 broody at once. . . Feisty mammas.

 

[shandiane78]

Thanks Illia. I don't know about getting something exotic! I've heard good thing about Old English Games. They would be easier to find, I think, but the closest I've seen is still about and hour away.

 

[catlover8976]

Well I have a little wyandotte bantam who has gone broody for the first time and although small is really vicious but I haven't let her have the chance to brake skin yet.

But although she's a good broody she never laid any eggs and so I just used her for incubating the other hen's eggs. Unlike my brahma 'Dawn' who keeps on laying eggs but seems to forget to turn them or just not have much luck with them at all poor girl. Then there's 'Arrow' who's 3/4 Brahma who desided the best place for her nest was behind a log and we didn't find her for days and when we went to remove her she had 24 eggs under her.

 

[Cavendish Chickens]

I have heard a lot of good things about silkies being good at hatching and raising chicks. If you go to backyardchickens.com and click on the "breed selector tool" then answer like 5 questions. They will show you the best chickens to have. And when I did this, they suggested silkies as one of the best breeds for us. It says they are docile. They lay around 3 eggs per week, are broody, bear confinement well, and are sweet, tame, and mothering. I would think they would be great moms with that info. But I guess the best way to find out is to try it. Hope you find the answer you're looking for!

 

[shandiane78]

I've never owned silkies, but their reputation for being sweet and docile makes me wonder if they're not typically at the bottom of the pecking order. And if this is the case, can they really protect their chicks from the rest of the flock, or would mother an chicks need to be kept separately? Silkies would be easier for me to get, I think (even though I think they're kind of dumb-looking, lol).

Thanks!

 

[BuffaloWings]

Try any of the Orpingtons. Great setters and mothers. Plus they are large enough to defend themselves against other chickens, but still gentle toward humans in my experience.

 

[Kittymomma]

I have five broody girls right now. Two are EE's and while normaly very docile the one that has chicks is quite protective of them. The other four are either on eggs or sawdust, but judging by the way they are on the nest I doubt if they'll have any problems taking care of their chicks. I think the key to letting momma hen raise her chicks with the rest of the flock is to make sure there is lots of room. If things are crowded bad things are going to happen. If she has a choice the mamma hen will keep her crew off to the edges of the flock where she can control who gets close to the chicks.

Mine free range, but also have a 10x30' run attached to the coop. I'm putting a 18" piece of hardware cloth across the door to the run so the rest of the flock can free range during the day, but mom and chicks will stay in the run/coop area. I'm more worried about my darn cats and the chicks then I am momma hen not being able to take care of any of the other chooks that try to hurt the little ones.

ETA: Ooops! The other broody girls are two Black Australorps and a Buff Orpington. They are big girls and can cover a lot of eggs if that is important to you.

 

[Renie'sPeeps]

Yep I agree with Buffalo Wings...I have a Buff Orpington broodie right now... setting on nearly 30 eggs... haha... not on purpose.. I gave her 21...and somebody snuck in a few more.... I have yet another one going broodie.. soo figured I would just remove all the eggs that don't have a date penciled on the top them will be put under her.... lol

 

[Catstar68]

My buff Orpington went broody last week. She's 10 months old and my first broody hen experience. I let her keep 9 eggs and you couldn't get her off the nest with a crowbar. I think she is going to be a good momma. She's a big girl and can probably defend herself but I've a nice chicken tractor she and her chicks can live in if that doesn't prove the case. I've heard BOs make excellent mothers so it doesn't surprise me she was the first to go broody. I only wish now that I didn't have those 26 chicks from McMurrays coming the end of May