what vey best full size broody hens & make great mothers

[Gfp]

what vey best
full size broody hens
&
make great mothers

 

[DaviJones]

I've heard good about Wyandottes and Buff Orpingtons

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. I'd imagine there are a number of alternatives.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Heritage hens are more likely to go broody. I see in another post that you're looking for good egg layers. If you just want an incubator/mother, why not buy a good egg laying breed, and then one or two silkies to raise up nests for you? Silkies are excellent mothers (though hideous, in my personal opinion.) Just put the eggs you want to raise into their nests.

 

[Latestarter]

Most of the major breeds have had brooding bred out of them in favor of increased egg laying. When a hen starts brooding, she stops laying. Virtually any breed could produce a hen that is "broody" but don't hold your breath waiting. If you want for sure brooding hens, from my understanding, silkies are probably best, followed by cochins.

 

[drumstick diva]

Cochins, Buff Orps

 

[N F C]

Broodiness was never something I purposely went looking for (with no rooster, there isn't much point unless you want to buy fertile eggs). The suggestions you've received or an incubator should give you what you want.

Best of luck!

 

[Plip]

Buff Orpingtons (of the breeds I've kept, that is)

Welcome to BYC! Glad you're here!

 

[Kat C]

All the banty breeds seem to make good mothers. They were not bred for eggs so there was no selection against broodiness. I suppose our star mother was a banty Wyandotte. She never weaned her chicks, they finally weaned themselves. And they were standard breed chicks so they towered over her. We had a buff Orpington do well too although none of her sisters did. When she was 9 she mothered her last brood. The day after she weaned she dropped dead. Most of our chickens are now crossbreeds. Generally the ones with the most Leghorn in them don't brood or aren't good mothers. We have crossed in some game chicken blood into our flock and those with more game blood do well. Game chickens are not selected for egg laying so like Bantys they are more likely to go broody. We did let one full game mother be a brood mother. She was fine with her chicks and killed any other chick that came near. We didn't use her again, but crossed with standard chicks we have had some fine mothers from her line.

 

[Gfp]

Heritage hens are more likely to go broody. I see in another post that you're looking for good egg layers. If you just want an incubator/mother, why not buy a good egg laying breed, and then one or two silkies to raise up nests for you? Silkies are excellent mothers (though hideous, in my personal opinion.) Just put the eggs you want to raise into their nests.

I now have a gold lace gold lace wyandotte setting on eggs & every now & then there is a silver lace wyandotte . in there instead , & , I have a black australorp setting , & , I do not know what it is it has a beard , feather legs & 5 toe's setting on eggs ,