Why can a broody......

[Pullet Press]

I raised a new flock this year. They are now laying at 25 weeks old. I have a Black and a Partridge Cochin and they are both broody. I gave 1 egg to the black one and none for the partridge. I may have to do the separate cage thing for her. I also have 4, 3 week old chicks from my Whiting True Blue who went broody and hatched them out. She is a meticulous mama and I believe I lucked out with all hens. I have 2 roos 25 wks old too(not supposed to have had they were an accident from Murray McMurray. They get along, I believe that dad is the Columbiam Wyandotte. We shall see. But my point was that I have never had broody hens before this new flock! CRAZY!!!

Wow, I may have the same mix (Partridge Cochin or Black Copper Maran mom with a Colombian Wyandotte dad) in a few years!
Is your CW nice, or are they typically aggressive? I bought a few CW cockerels this year for meat (I only have 2 now), and am planning on using them for breeding. Not my plan at all. Ah, well. They are pretty sweet guys so far.

 

[mtnlady621]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I'm in the process of purchasing some Black Copper Marans (not for the broodiness, but for the egg color. I have 2 choices for broody birds now), Speckled Sussex (not for broodiness) and Partridge Cochins! The feed store is supposed to call me when they get there (1-4 weeks). Has anyone had a PC that goes broody often? McMurray's description for the breed says they go broody easily. Is that true?

I just posted about my Partridge cochin going broody. See the about comment... Good luck.

 

[mtnlady621]

Wow, I may have the same mix (Partridge Cochin or Black Copper Maran mom with a Colombian Wyandotte dad) in a few years!
Is your CW nice, or are they typically aggressive? I bought a few CW cockerels this year for meat (I only have 2 now), and am planning on using them for breeding. Not my plan at all. Ah, well. They are pretty sweet guys so far.

Well, he's a good roo so far. Doesnt seem aggressive but he is still young. He definately doesnt like it when I grab one of "his" girls and love on her. I get the stampy foot stink eye. LOL!

 

[Pullet Press]

My little guys have their own designated pullet. It's so cute. They don't mount their pullets, the just stand next to them. The funny thing is that my good-looking perfect roo has a skinny pullet, and the skinny one with horrible tail feathers has the perfect big and fluffy pullet. Jack Sprat could eat no fat and his wife could eat no lean...

 

[Ruthster55]

I have had a run of 11 broody hens this year. Seven of them have raised numbers of chicks ranging between 1 and 20. One just set herself up on a clutch and is TBA. Three had failed broods of which two were caused by possums. Possums can get over walls and fences that dogs and raccoons can’t.

During the second half of 2019, we made major security improvements to the chicken run.

We had one rooster and 8 or 9 hens in January or February. We purchased two Game hens in late January or February. That was just for fun with no specific plans.

One of them went broody in late February and hatched one pullet on March 18th.

Since then, we have had hatches of 2, 7, 3, 5, 0, 20, 0, 0, and most recently, 7.

Yes, I use a spreadsheet to keep track of the father, mother, breeds or mixes, date of hatch, number of chicks, and a few other things. If this goes on much longer, I’ll need to wing-band ‘em at 8-10 weeks...to give each one their own ID.

In my experience.....
The sound of chicks in a safe environment is very much an inducement for a hen to go broody. And, if a hen was broody-raised, she is more likely to go broody herself, and that could be at a fairly early age.

We put the broody mama in a raised cage with the babies for several weeks because we have lost some little ones in heavy rainstorms.

There are now maybe 35 chickens total after selling 8 mutt chicks + culling 4 or 5 hatchery Barred Rocks that came from a store and had faults of one kind or another. I have helped two people set up new flocks and provided a couple families with dinners.

In other words, I am starting to do a bit of selective breeding with the two or three groups that I have.

There are two older hens left that have never gone broody. One is a Speckled yellow hen, and the other is a Columbian-pattern white hen. They’re OK birds, but don’t quite fit in with the Mamas Club.

Agree that the hatcheries select for egg-laying. That selects against broodiness. Private breeders are less likely to do that.

And the hen that was hatched on March 18th? She has a clutch of her own and seems to be try to decide whether to start setting it.

 

[Fowl Explorer]

It is mainly for egg production. Broodiness = no eggs being laid.

I must say that the Buckeyes almost ALL go broody at different times. You haven't lived until you go in the coop and 6 pairs of broody stares look back at you. Egg production drops, too!

 

[Simimaus]

Ah, poop. I'll have to email McMurray about putting the Light Brahma in the broody category. They were the only ones available at the time, however. Can Buff Orpingtons go broody easily?

Silkies go broody like clockwork. Mine Silkie momma went broody the first time when she was 8 month old. Since then, every 3 month. Her daughter went broody at 7-8 month, shes raising her ISA Brown chicks right now. Also, my black Australorp went broody this summer. At about 14 month old. Her Easter Egger babies are 7 weeks old now.

 

[Simimaus]

So all of this means I should just get an incubator... and possibly a bantam cochin?

get a Silkie

 

[Simimaus]

I’ve had a 4 year old BO go broody once when she saw some new chicks. My LF Cochin never has. My CONSTANT broodies are one of my Black Ameraucanas, one of my Black Copper Marans and my Naked Neck.

A nest full of eggs will trigger one of my girls as will a bunch of new chicks running around. I’ve noticed this several times. You can’t duplicate a bunch of new chicks running around, but you can duplicate a nest full of eggs by placing a bunch of fake eggs in one. I’ve also read that game hens are fierce and constant broodies, but game birds aren’t my thing.

Good luck, but be careful what you wish for. A broody hen = no eggs for 7-8 weeks (3 setting and 4-5 rearing). And the BCM broody of mine is the one that lays the darkest chocolate egg. Wish it could be one of my others.

Mine are 3 weeks setting, about 8 weeks rearing

 

[Simimaus]

Western Texas, south of Wichita Falls (for privacy reasons, that's all I'll say).
Congrats on the broody silkies!
When you mentioned that your rooster even takes care of them, I just smiled. That's really sweet. I've heard that the occasional rooster even broods clutches of eggs sometime. That would really be a sight for sore eyes!

My white Silkie rooster will take care of baby chicks. He shows them food and protects them. When they get scared they run under him