# Broody hens



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

I would like to try raising chicks naturally. Which breed (regular sized) will go broody even if there is no roo arounnd? I have a friend that I can get fertile eggs from.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Orpingtons. They are laid back breed and good mothers.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Ok, thx. I need to check to see where I can get them in my area.


----------



## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

True Orpingtons/Plymouth Rocks/Australorps/Games etc - not hatchery strain. They still go broody but have had a lot of it bred out of them.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Where can one find a true strain of one of these breeds?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Look for specific bird breeders on the internet. Once you find one that you think will work for your needs see what all you can find out about them and the reputation of the breeding facility.


----------



## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

My Orpingtons seemed like one was always just going broody or ending broody.


----------



## cdavis72137 (Sep 20, 2014)

My buff orpingtons which is hatchery strain is plenty broody ...sometimes too broody....I had three out of 6 sitting on eggs at one time...I got my start of chicks from welp hatchery


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Thx ! I'll check into them. I think I have a source close by.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Do you have an incubator? Or know someone that does? And can you have roosters? If yes to those questions, there is a board member here that has high quality Orpingtons.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

No, I don't have an incubator at this time. Maybe sometime in the future. I'm outside our city limits so a roo is not a problem I just haven't gotten one yet. One of my latest australorp pullets seems to be a roo, so time will tell for sure. I was hoping one of my girlies would brood but no one has shown that desire as yet and its well past time. I have a coworker who has fertile australorp eggs.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How old are your girls? I just checked and they are known to go broody. You might not have to find another breed to hatch and raise chicks after all.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

I have a farm yard variety of hens ranging from 3 or 4 years to 5 months. I'd eventually like to have all 'lorps or Rhode Island reds. I still have 2 or 3 of my starters from 1 1/2 years ago and the oldest was 18 months then. The rest ar just about a year old.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ah, so you have other breeds. The lorps are the ones I looked up. Other breeds never go broody as you know but if you have a couple of the lorps they should go broody. Are any of them the older birds?


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Robin, I have one older 'lorp but I don't think she's full blood. My ' full bld 'lorps are about 5 months old. They are supposed to be pullets, but one is sure looking rooster like. I plan on getting a few more when the fall batches start coming in. I had 3 but lost one, so 2 is all I have right now. I also have 2 easter eggers a one Rhode Island red ( bob cat had the sister for lunch). That is plus 13 of my mature girls.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Five months is a little young for going broody. They need to be laying first. I never paid much attention to how old my Silkies were when they went broody but it was after they had been laying for a bit. Then it was on, hatching chicks was all they cared about.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Yes, I knew that the young'uns where a bit young yet. None of my older ones have shown any sign of going broody either though.


----------



## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

5 months is very old for a bird to look rooster-like. You'd be very sure they were by that time.


----------



## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

There are two 5-6 month old Australorp cockerels. The one on the left is exhibition strain and bred to SOP the one on the right is from Murray McMurray and was giving to me to grow out for dog food. Anyway, it doesn't matter what strain you have, they're well developed by 5 months.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Thx, Feire, I thought so, too. I'll snap a pix this afternoon and show you ( I just got called into work surgery this morning. ) They are both from the same place and time, but the one is so much bigger. The bigger one has very red combs and waddles while Little Miss , not so much. The only roo I ever had started crowing around 3 months.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Well, hubby said one of the "girls" IS a boy! He heard crowing this morning which means we have a late developer or we just haven't been hearing him. Our coop is about 300 ft from the house and weve been inside a lot due to the heat.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

The first pix and 2nd pix are of our most recent chickens which we thought were all girls but onevof them was crowing today. The 3rd are my 'lorps which were banded all pullets but looksvlike one is a roo. They are all about 4 months old.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

Yep the bigger white o enis crowing his silly head off (literally! ) Not sure about the big blk one yet.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

When I saw that pic of the black one I thought male. But don't go by me, Silkies seem to be the only thing I can sex accurately when it comes to young birds.


----------



## grampsjim (May 18, 2015)

The bigger white one is definitely a roo, he found his crow and is showing signs of possessiveness to the girls. He and the other white one ,also male ,are headed to our freezer soon. The blk astralorp looks male too me also and I think he will be a good keeper. He's so pretty. As long as he is not aggressive around the grand kids, I'll keep him. But first sign of aggression to my little ones,he'll go into the freezer,too.


----------

