Jared77
Garden Addicted
Broodiness and parenting is a trait that can be selected for just like size, or color or any other aspect in your line of birds. When I was breeding canaries, we had some mothers who were utterly horrible parents. We used to foster out the eggs to another parent who would sit and feed chicks, but we realized we were only reinforcing the unwanted behavior. So any hen that didn't sit and hatch her eggs, or feed her chicks, we got rid of. Within a few generations we had hens who were EXCELLENT mothers.
The problem is now adays with chickens people want eggs. They've bred the broodiness out of them so we can get them to lay more often. Look at how many articles there are on how to break a broody, or how many people want sex linkeds so they crank out eggs. How many times to we hear about people fostering out eggs to broody hens? How many people keep silkies because they are broody? How many silkie people let their silkie hens hatch her own eggs? By doing that your selecting for broodiness. I'm not saying get rid of your non-broody birds, but if you've got a broody hen, hatch HER eggs. She'll pass that trait along in various amounts, and use roos from hens that are broody. That way he'll pass along that trait too. By selecting for that trait on both sides your increasing your odds of getting broodiness in your lines.
Im glad to hear you've had success with your broody hen! Id love to see some pics and I promise not to say anything to your DH about these little ones!!!
The problem is now adays with chickens people want eggs. They've bred the broodiness out of them so we can get them to lay more often. Look at how many articles there are on how to break a broody, or how many people want sex linkeds so they crank out eggs. How many times to we hear about people fostering out eggs to broody hens? How many people keep silkies because they are broody? How many silkie people let their silkie hens hatch her own eggs? By doing that your selecting for broodiness. I'm not saying get rid of your non-broody birds, but if you've got a broody hen, hatch HER eggs. She'll pass that trait along in various amounts, and use roos from hens that are broody. That way he'll pass along that trait too. By selecting for that trait on both sides your increasing your odds of getting broodiness in your lines.
Im glad to hear you've had success with your broody hen! Id love to see some pics and I promise not to say anything to your DH about these little ones!!!
