Isa Browns Parenting Skills?????

Mother_hen · **Posted:** Mon Jan 14, 2013 3:11 pm

I have always been told Isa browns make shocking parents but in the middle of a heatwave my isa brown has gone broody. She was sitting in the nesting box when I went to check she was ok and she pecked me! she then followed my hand and she is sitting on ONE egg! I pushed two more under her and will go check to see if she is sitting on them still. I think I am going to have to move her as she is in with the other hens and a rooster (maybe 2) How often do they go broody? Will she stay broody? Will she raise eggs to completion? Do I move her do I let her stay??

PlayingGames · **Joined:** Sat Dec 15, 2012 3:35 pm **Posts:** 121

they will probally give up sitting at about 2weeks and go back into lay.

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

From experience (my son had a pet Isa a while ago) they make shocking parents they rarely sit long enough to hatch the chicks out and if they do they tend to ignore the chicks as they are a hybrid designed to lay, and lay a LOT of eggs
Their main mission in life is to lay a heap of eggs
I wouldn’t put anything under her as you will most likely be in for heartache when she just gets up and walks away half way thru incubation

Mother_hen · **Posted:** Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:59 pm

she left that night left me with 4 eggs not 3 so maybe she just lays with the other eggs? conf665

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

They can get feisty when laying an egg and this can confuse some – they want privacy while laying
is she perhaps just aggressive towards you when she is laying an egg? And maybe you are a little bit over eager to see what she is doing?

try putting a fake egg in the nest and taking all that get laid - just so she keeps going back to the nest = they think 'if it is good enough for another hen to lay there I might too'

6Hens · **Joined:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 8:25 pm **Posts:** 2

I have tried 3 times to set some eggs under 3 difference isa hens and failed every time they loose interest so fast or become to nervous staying in the box too long. 1 got on and off 7 times in 10 minutes so I gave up and purchased 2 bantams for the job

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Isa Browns are a commercial hybrid strain specifically bred to lay eggs not so much to go broody and be mothers

if you want broodies you need to get a breed that is well know for it - or cross breds that are know for it
Pekin cross Silkie is a good combination for broodiness
others here can recommend breeds that are good broodies and mothers

6Hens · **Joined:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 8:25 pm **Posts:** 2

The 2 bantams I got are the pekins and they are sweet girls so a bonus there

Mother_hen · **Posted:** Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:03 pm

I have on OEG and a OEG X. The OEG was broody and stole eggs to hatch them (LOL) but she is raising a chick atm having turned the older (australorp) away so just her and her little brown bantam that I will post a photo of later because I do not know what he/she is lol. I know she/he is a cross bred but not sure if hen or roo (funny comb)

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