What Chickens Are the Best Brooders?

Broody hens want to sit on eggs and raise chicks. They stop laying eggs, refuse to leave the nest and make a characteristic "clucking" sound. Hens often become broody in the spring and early summer. Broodiness is a good trait if the hen owner wants to raise chicks. It is not a desirable trait for egg production. Broody hens are found in both bantam and standard breeds. Seven breeds of chickens are well-known for producing broody hens.

  1. Silkies

    • The only bantam breed with black skin, silkies have silky hair-like feathers and five toes. The colors include black, blue and white. The breed developed in China produces many broody hens.

    Old English Games

    • The Old English Game breed descends from ancient fighting cocks. Their appearance is similar to a wild jungle fowl and they are found in a variety of colors. They lay white or lightly tinted eggs. Old English Game are bantam or standard size and may be aggressive birds.

    Japanese Bantams

    • Japanese bantams were bred in Japan in 1600. They have a squirrel tail, a single red comb and are often black and white in color. Japanese bantams lay creamy white eggs and are known as protective mothers.

    Dorkings

    • The Dorking is one of the oldest breeds of chickens. They are usually white or silver gray with five toes and very short legs. Dorking hens are often broody. The breed has both standard and bantam sizes.

    Black Australorps

    • The breed of chicken with shiny black feathers originated in Australia. The hens lay a large number of brown eggs and many become broody. Black Australorps come in both standard and bantam size. They are hardy and easily handled.

    Cochins

    • The distinctive feather-footed breed originated in China. The birds range in color from buff, to white and black. The breed is cold hardy and slow to mature. These popular docile show chickens are found in both bantam and standard sizes.

    Orpingtons

    • The docile and friendly Orpingtons are excellent mothers. The common colors are buff, black, blue and white. Orpingtons lay brown eggs and are very cold hardy. There are standard and bantam Orpingtons. The standard-size chickens are very large.