ISA Brown Hen goes broody that is rare

[SkyAJK]

My Isa Brown hen has been broody for a week now. She is 3.5 year of age. I find that very rare because I had many Isa Brown chickens before, they are breed to lay eggs until they are run to the ground for it. They do not have broodiness characteristic.

I am very happy that she is broody because I don't need to put her on another implant to stop her egg laying. Being broody does that already.

My very first flock of chicken are Isa Brown, they all died of reproductive ill health. I only have 2 Isa brown in my flock now and this broody one is the oldest.

The rest of my flock now are heritage breed and goodness me they are taking turn going broody. I think my Isa Brown girl is infected by all the broodiness that going around her.

Does anyone experience Isa Brown broodiness? Do they make good mother hen?

 

[sybonbon]

My Isa Brown hen has been broody for a week now. She is 3.5 year of age. I find that very rare because I had many Isa Brown chickens before, they are breed to lay eggs until they are run to the ground for it. They do not have broodiness characteristic.

I am very happy that she is broody because I don't need to put her on another implant to stop her egg laying. Being broody does that already.

My very first flock of chicken are Isa Brown, they all died of reproductive ill health. I only have 2 Isa brown in my flock now and this broody one is the oldest.

The rest of my flock now are heritage breed and goodness me they are taking turn going broody. I think my Isa Brown girl is infected by all the broodiness that going around her.

Does anyone experience Isa Brown broodiness? Do they make good mother hen?

Is it a true ISA Brown or a red sexlinks labeled as an ISA Brown? Just curious.

 

[SkyAJK]

ISA Brown is a sexlink type of chicken. The rooster has light cream colour with some red brown on its wings.
Hen is red/dark brown and tiny bit of white colour at the tail and around neck feather.
Here are my 2 Isa Brown hens.
I am not chicken expert, I was told they are ISA Brown.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Does anyone experience Isa Brown broodiness?

I personally have not but others on the forum have. Hens are not laying eggs when they are broody so commercial operators have tried to breed broodiness out of them. Still, the commercial egg laying hybrid like the ISA Browns or breeds like Leghorns, RIR, and others do sometimes go broody. Not often but it happens.

Do they make good mother hen?

Any breed or cross like Leghorns, Silkies, Buff Orpington, RIR, or ISA Browns can make a great mother or can make a lousy mother. Whether or not they go broody to start with is the question, not how good of a broody they are. If you red enough posts where people have actually experienced it instead of just making assumptions you will see that.

There is only one way to find out how your ISA Brown would do. If you want chicks I'd risk it.

 

[SkyAJK]

I personally have not but others on the forum have. Hens are not laying eggs when they are broody so commercial operators have tried to breed broodiness out of them. Still, the commercial egg laying hybrid like the ISA Browns or breeds like Leghorns, RIR, and others do sometimes go broody. Not often but it happens.


Any breed or cross like Leghorns, Silkies, Buff Orpington, RIR, or ISA Browns can make a great mother or can make a lousy mother. Whether or not they go broody to start with is the question, not how good of a broody they are. If you red enough posts where people have actually experienced it instead of just making assumptions you will see that.

There is only one way to find out how your ISA Brown would do. If you want chicks I'd risk it.

She has been laying big egg every day so I wanted to put her on implant again, but since she has gone broody, I don't need to.

I do want her to experience motherhood as it seems she wanted it, but I can not let it as I have enough chickens to care for. Anymore will be too much. I will let her go through broodiness and take care that she is well.

I might let her be mother hen next year if she goes broody then.
My Wyandotte & Australorp cared for their chicks devotedly and pecked at their chicks like enemy around 5 week.

My Japanese bantam mother hen introduced her chick to the flock and her chick is so big now, her wing only cover its head and still she lets it settled under her wing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Before a hen even starts laying eggs she stores up excess fat. That fat is what she mostly lives off of if she goes broody so she can spend most of her time on the nest instead of having to be out forging for food. Eventually that excess fat runs out and most hens break from being broody.

Each hen is different, I do not know how long your hen's fat will last. I don't know what effect those implants have on that either. From what I've seen most hens can go over five weeks before they fat runs out. I'd suggest that if she doesn't break from being broody on her own by five weeks that you break her.

If you wanted the eggs I'd say break her immediately so she could get back to laying but you don't. But I would not stretch the broodiness over 5 weeks.

 

[SkyAJK]

Before a hen even starts laying eggs she stores up excess fat. That fat is what she mostly lives off of if she goes broody so she can spend most of her time on the nest instead of having to be out forging for food. Eventually that excess fat runs out and most hens break from being broody.

Each hen is different, I do not know how long your hen's fat will last. I don't know what effect those implants have on that either. From what I've seen most hens can go over five weeks before they fat runs out. I'd suggest that if she doesn't break from being broody on her own by five weeks that you break her.

If you wanted the eggs I'd say break her immediately so she could get back to laying but you don't. But I would not stretch the broodiness over 5 weeks.

Thank you. I will let her sit for as long as she wants, but I will take your recommendation on board and break her broodiness at week 5 if she still broody.

 

[ChookaPete]

My Isa Brown hen has been broody for a week now. She is 3.5 year of age. I find that very rare because I had many Isa Brown chickens before, they are breed to lay eggs until they are run to the ground for it. They do not have broodiness characteristic.

Not necessarily.


I have a Hy-Line hen who has twice been broody:


Broody Beauty Clover at six months old - in fact only just after laying her first clutch of eggs! I put some fertile eggs underneath her, and she raised a lovely leghorn chick who I named Chamomile.

Clover broody for the second time at one year & three months old, with Chamomile laying an egg next to her!

 

[SkyAJK]

I had 6 Isa Brown hens before and non of them ever go brood. They all passed away due to reproductive ill health.
My new flock are mostly heritage and they taking turn going broody in and out. 1 of my Isa brown that is older suddenly go broody, I think she picking up the broodiness from the heritage hens. I am only guessing.

 

[ChookaPete]

My new flock are mostly heritage and they taking turn going broody in and out. 1 of my Isa brown that is older suddenly go broody, I think she picking up the broodiness from the heritage hens.

That is very possible.



I do not know what inspired my Hy-Line chicken to go broody, as none of my other Hy-Line chickens went broody, or ever yet. Honestly I hope they do go broody!

Anyway, I love my broody beauty so much! But she is grumpy at me now for breaking her out of her broodiness!