Hi there, Silkies are egg hatching machines, and I have heard on this forum that buff orpingtons and austrolorps are also good setters. I had a silkie once that hatched eggs for as long as I had her. you can't keep them off of the eggs. Hope this helps.

I have a Rhode Island Red mix that is a great mom.My hens that have set the best are mixes.I read that if you have broody hens,they feel safe and comfortable-mine are safe and well fed and watered and spoiled.Banties also are supposed to be good at raising chicks.Posy_Pet

Exactly as posypet & flowersnhens have said...I'll add that most of the big fluffy 'heavy' dual purpose (meat & eggs) breeds are usually good setters (cochins are great, large or small). My Americaunas go broody sometimes, but aren't reliable. Silkies & banties of course. I currently have 6 broodies dead-set on brooding: a Buff Orp, a New Hampshire, a blue Silkie, 2 mixed banties and a cochin. None of these girls could be moved with a crowbar, they are so fanatical. *L*

Leghorns & RIR have been bred by humans to eliminate the brooding instinct in favor of egg laying, and Cornish X have been bred for meat birds. The ornamental birds (think tall & slender), such as Polish, also rarely go broody.

What you can do to round out your flock is to have a few hens weighted for brooding (silkies, cochins, etc.) and a few of the 'ooh, I LOVE that breed!' for eye candy & eggs. :)

Velvet ~:>

I have red sex links. Does anyone know how often they go "broody" and are they good mothers?

I don't believe Red sexlinks go broody at all.

I have several Buff Orpingtons who are very broody. I didn't let them set this year, but I plan to keep a rooster this fall so next spring they can raise their own chicks since they are so set on doing so!

I can't get my Australorps to get off the nests! Buffs also!
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But my longest brooder is my little americauna.
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Thanks everyone, I'll keep this in mind and keep you posted.

Love the pictures, mailman!