What chicken breeds are most likely to go broody?

[Compost King]

Curious. I want a few dorkings next year. What issues do yours have?

Issues that come with generations of inbreeding. I love my Dorking's but when I breed them very few offspring are hardy enough to make it to adulthood. Currently I am crossing them with Red Rangers and crossing back the offspring to Dorkings. the most recent generation are 3/4 Dorking and 1/4 Red Rangers and they seem to be very hardy when I do this. If you can get Dorkings that survive until adulthood they are great chickens to have and crossing them with other large breeds can lead to some really great table birds.

 

[Folly's place]

Aren't their short legs a genetic problem?
Mary

 

[Compost King]

No, its not the same short leg problem that Japanese Bantams and Seramas have. They do have shorter than average legs but its not the same gene. Or at least that is what i am told. I have high success rates with their hatches and the short leg creeper gene affects whether or not the survive in the egg. Or that is what I have read. What I read what is truth are not always the same thing. Also what I read and what I recall years do not always line up.

 

[goldysgirl]

You have 20 year old chickens? That are also broody?

Though you can say that a breed is friendly, it depends on the individual birds. This is the same as choosing broody breeds. Like humans- they all have their personalities and their way of acting toward an instinct.

My best of luck with broody hens has been all over the place. I had two Australorp hens- one being so motherly and the complete opposite. You can never assume when involved with nature's creatures.

1). Salmon Faverolles
Each of my Salmon Faverolles have been broody more than once... I've never had them hatch, but they are very protective of their nest and are such sweet birds.

2). Blue Cochins
I've only had Blue Cochins, though I know many other Cochin varieties will/may go broody quite often. The Blue Cochins of mine are very motherly... often going broody not long after their first hatch. The only issue I've had is that they are more prone to breaking eggs accidentally when positioning in the nest.

3). Buff Orpingtons
Can be very persistent, independent birds. Will probably make a very good mother. My one hen tried very hard to hatch, but our rooster, at the time, was infertile.

4). Sussex
More eager of birds- will go broody- not extremely motherly.

5). Brahma
More on the tough side... I love this breed, they are my favorite, but mine tend to go stir crazy when separated with chicks too long. Other hens will do this also, but the Brahmas like a little more freedom.

Best of luck and God bless. Hope this was helpful to you.

My broody cochin was blue as well, hatchery large fowl

 

[goldysgirl]

No, its not the same short leg problem that Japanese Bantams and Seramas have. They do have shorter than average legs but its not the same gene. Or at least that is what i am told. I have high success rates with their hatches and the short leg creeper gene affects whether or not the survive in the egg. Or that is what I have read. What I read what is truth are not always the same thing. Also what I read and what I recall years do not always line up.

My japanese are long legged pet quality, which is fine by me. I figure they are probably more hardy. I am usually not a fan of really exagerrated mutations. Same goes for dogs, too. Too many health problems in my opinion. Wasn't going to get any Polish, but my mom loves them so I got two. The are my favorites now, so I guess I will let the mutation thing slide haha! They are so sweet and full of character.

 

[Folly's place]

I think I'm misremembering about this, good!

 

[varidgerunner]

Inbreeding is not the problem with your dorkings, in and of itself. My Asils are extremely inbred. The problem is inbreeding chickens that have defects. Makes what you have show it's defects more often.

 

[Folly's place]

It's harder with a tiny gene pool, which is part of the problem. It's still necessary to select for health and longevity though.
My Chanteclers are showing health, some tendencies toward longevity (haven't had them for twenty years yet!) but poor fertility. I don't know why yet.
Mary

 

[BossLadyMissEdee]

I have two Ameraucanas that aren’t even six months old. They started laying a two weeks ago. A week in and they’re so broody they lay on everybody else’s eggs until I steal them. Then they squawk at me like I morally betrayed them, hop out of the nests, and go run around the yard like it never happened. Goofiest birds I’ve ever seen ‍

 

[Dharmachick]

Why would I need to find out what the internet thinks is a broody breed

Because you can find scientific studies with a controlled environment which will show which breeds tend to be broody. Hearsay is not fact, it's just what you noticed.

https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/porta...en(12f1dbf2-6bb5-41fd-a6b7-61a0f9d5a539).html