Broody Hens
Once, long ago, when we kept a number of farmyard birds, 'we found that broody hens were a glut on the market. We had far more of them than we wanted. The mixed flock contained a Guinea fowl, Indian gamecocks, two or three bantams as well as Wyandottes, Minorcas, Orpingtons and other breeds popular at the time. Since then I have had little or nothing-to do with poultry-keeping, but when 1 was asked the other day to obtain a few broody hens from one of my farmer friends I was astonished to discover that some of the birds I once knew have become rare.
Broody hens are found in heavy breeds and the heavy breeds are not greatly in favour now. It seems I was impetuous in promising to obtain them for the spring. It would have been so much easier had I undertaken to find a sound commercial proposition for the table —a nice plump Sussex—but the hens are wanted to foster-mother day-old chicks and I am left wondering if there is such a place as a broody-hen farm. -
Previous page
