I know some production chickens have had the broody nature bred out of them so they produce more eggs, I'm sure the motherliness can be affected as well.

-Sheila

I think that a lot of broody behaviour is hormonal. Perhaps that is the case with mothering too. Whatever the reason, it is certainly best for the chicks that Tippy took them on!

Get 'em on the Maury Povich show! :) "My sister dumped her kids on me!"

Interesting how one can be such a good mom and the other so indifferent, isn't it? I've had 'non-broody' breeds go broody like gangbusters, and the typically broody types don't. Never can tell!

Velvet ~:>

It's a breed thing. Orpingtons are good broodies.

Some other good broodies/mothers are:
Silkies, cochins, turkens (good brooders, lousy mothers) and non hybrid old fashioned cornish hens are good.

BAD mothers (or non setters) are ones like 'flighty' birds like pearl leghorns (FREAK OUT BIRDS, but awesome layers). It can also vary within breeds too. I've had bad silky mothers and great ones too.

We've got a Buff Orphington - imaginatively named "Buffy". She's not a great mom but she does try to set now and then but mongooses get the nest or she manages to get distracted before the eggs hatch. Our Americanas - the Spice Girls "Cinnamon" and "Nutmeg" - are much better setters and moms afterwards. They also seem to be smarter chickens than Buffy. We still seem to run the incubator once a year or so, though anyway.