The Broodiest Chicken Breeds and Best Mother Hens
Modern laying breeds have had broodiness bred out of them, because a hen sitting on eggs is a hen not laying. But if you want your flock to renew itself without an incubator, you need the opposite: a breed that still goes broody, sits tight for the full 21 days, and mothers the chicks after they hatch. It is the cheapest way to grow a flock, and the most reliable.
These 159 breeds are rated strongly broody. The Silkie is the going rate for a foster mother — she will hatch anything, including duck and quail eggs — while Cochins, Orpingtons and the Old English Game hens are steady, protective setters. Keep one or two in a laying flock and you have a living incubator that also raises what it hatches.
10 breeds you can actually buy
| Breed | Broody | Temperament | Size | Kept for | Eggs / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aseel | High | Aggressive, active | Standard | Game | 40–80 |
| Booted Bantam | High | Docile, friendly | True bantam | Ornamental | 120–160 |
| Cochin | High | Docile, calm | Standard | Ornamental | 110–160 |
| Dorking | High | Calm, docile | Standard | Dual-purpose | 140–190 |
| Japanese Bantam | High | Friendly, docile | True bantam | Ornamental | 60–90 |
| Old English Game | High | Aggressive, bold | Standard | Game | 100–160 |
| Old English Game Bantam | High | Active, bold | Bantam | Exhibition | 120–160 |
| Orpington | High | Docile, friendly | Standard | Dual-purpose | 180–200 |
| Silkie | High | Docile, calm | Bantam | Ornamental | 100–120 |
| Sumatra | High | Active, flighty | Standard | Ornamental | 50–100 |
Rarer breeds that also fit
These match too, but few or no US hatcheries stock them — expect a breeder waitlist.
Algerian Local Chicken · American Game · Ankaleshwar · Ayam Burgo · Ayam Kampung · Ayam Kampung (Malaysia) · Ayam Kapas · Ayam Katik · Baladi (Egyptian) · Banaba · Banat Naked Neck · Barbu d'Anvers · and 137 more
Breed facts from our open chicken-breed database, cross-checked against US hatchery listings, the Livestock Conservancy’s 2026 priority list and the American Poultry Association. Lay rates are a healthy hen’s good year, not a guarantee.