Which broody hen breed to add to existing flock?

[629864]

I can recommend SLW = silver laced Wyandottes. Mine have been broody at least twice per year and raised very successfully a lot of chicks over the years.

Although they are beautiful and friendly, I would not choose a Brahma, as they are too heavy and clumsy, often treading on their own overly feathered feet and cracking up the hatching eggs.

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OMIGOSH! Look at all those sweet little babies! Did that one hen really sit on 20 eggs successfully? Wow!!!!

 

[LaFleche]

OMIGOSH! Look at all those sweet little babies! Did that one hen really sit on 20 eggs successfully? Wow!!!!

She shared them with her sister, they got along very well and often raised their chicks together.

 

[629864]

@Mrs. K
That's such helpful information! Thank you! I've been wondering exactly about that...whether to separate them or let it all happen naturally once a hen does get broody.

As for the brown leghorns, they are flightier than my productions reds (what I thought until today were RIRs). The reds don't LOVE being picked up, but will let me and they all come running and surround me when I go outside. The BLs and the EEs ... well I got both partly because of their flightiness...supposedly more predator "proof". They arent mean birds in any way. But they definitely keep their distance. The EEs are curious, but dont come peck my boots like the reds do. The BLs just seem frightened of me even though I've never chased them or done anything bit bring them food. I am out with them off and on throughout the day all day every day. So it's not like they arent used to me. I just think the BLs are wilder...not pets. And that's fine by me. So long as they come back home and they arent mean, I'm ok with them being a little more paranoid of possible dangers.

 

[Ridgerunner]

new to roosters as well, but what I've read is that they arent reliable "shooters" until around 18 months.

You can read a lot of things, on this forum and elsewhere. Some of it is even true. Not this though. I've had a cockerel as young as 5 months take over from the hens as flock master. That's really rare that young. I had a cockerel that could not take over until he was 11 months old. Some people I trust say they have had some take even longer. Most of my cockerels take over at around 7 to 8 months. I can and do hatch those eggs. Each cockerel is different and the hens have something to say about when they take over but you should be OK for hatching eggs late spring.

The broody hen could be the problem. Some "production breeds" have had the broodiness mostly bred out of them. They don't need or want broody hens. A broody hen is not laying eggs and makes managing them more difficult. They use incubators to hatch the eggs. So certain production breeds like Rhode Island Reds, Leghorns (especially white leghorns), and Production Reds have mostly had the broodiness bred out of them and seldom go broody. But from the above posts you can see that all the broodiness hasn't been bred out of all of them. However rare it is it is still possible.

Some breeds are known to go broody a fair amount. Broodiness has not been bred out of them. But not all hens of a broody breed go broody. It's still hit or miss. Buff Orpington are supposed to be a broody breed but none of mine ever went broody. I only had a couple which isn't enough for breed averages to mean much but I was disappointed. Both of my Black Australorp from Cackle Hatchery went broody but that could have been luck. I could get ten more and might not get any broody hens. Since broodiness can be bred into them or out of them, which flock they come from can have a big influence.

Most of mine go broody in late spring or summer. I almost never get a broody hen in early or mid spring or Fall/Winter. You cannot control when they will go broody, if they ever do. They set their own schedule and it is not always when it's best for me.

The only way you can control when or even if you can hatch eggs is to get an incubator and be willing to raise them yourself. I really like a broody hen but I can't depend on them. I hatch them to eat and have to use an incubator to keep from running out of meat in the freezer. I'd prefer to only use broody hens but it just doesn't work out that way.

Since we like photos I'll include these to get you ready.

 

[User105877]

Buy a game hen. They are bit smaller but are very broody and great mothers

 

[TheCluckyClucker2]

I live in Conway County AR and have Bantam Cochin. All three of my girls went broody this year. I know you are not looking for Bantams but I wonder if Cochins are as broody prone as Cochin Bantams.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you are worried about fertility, well keep a tally sheet on your counter, and when you cook with eggs - check for the bulls eyes, and when you get above 90%, well you can set with confidence.

I laughed when I read Ridgerunner's post - all of my BO have gone broody for me, and I have NEVER had a BA go broody. It is the luck of the draw.

Know that not all eggs will hatch, and not all chicks will live. Once there was an ongoing tally on here, where as each poster added to the previous post, and calculated the odds. When they got over 800, the percentage was 50%. I figure if I am above that, a good hatch, and if below that, not so good. This summer I set twelve eggs twice, got 3 chicks. Not too good. It was that kind of year, generally.

Mrs K

 

[50-45-1]

Dont give up on the hens you have.
Your RIR's, that are actually Isa Browns, comets or other sex link egg producers might go broody.
A few years ago i adopted six 3 yr old Isa brown hens from a production farm and the first year i had them, one went broody and sucsesfully hatched chicks and was a wonderful mother.

 

[629864]

@Ridgerunner
Thanks so much for your awesome reply. I really appreciate hearing from all of you. It helps so much getting feedback from people with experience instead of just reading a "how to" article.

We want to raise chickens for eggs and meat as well, so we may have to get an incubator, but I'd sure love to at least have a broody hen now and then.

Speaking of raising chickens for meat, do you use a machine defeatherer? And if so, do you like it? I figure it's a lot less work, so worth the extra money if it actually does the job as advertised.

Your chicks are adorable!

 

[629864]

I live in Conway County AR and have Bantam Cochin. All three of my girls went broody this year. I know you are not looking for Bantams but I wonder if Cochins are as broody prone as Cochin Bantams.

I wouldnt mind a bantam at all. I just worry that a smaller bird will be bullied by these assertive bigger girls. Also, worried that the big boys might hurt them when mating. All that said, I do have one teeny EE pullet who doesnt seem to take crap from anyone else.

We're very near Mountain View.