[Brenda Babes]

One of my chickens (a 6mth old Light Sussex) has stopped laying and is spending a lot of time just sitting in the nesting box. Very strange behaviour for her as she usually runs around the garden with the kids, very sociable and friendly! I feed her spaghetti, boiled brown rice, potato, buckwheat,corn and some organic layers pellets.........a mixture of all. Is this normal or does she need a trip to the vets? Please help!!!

[tedsdad]

It's probably broody,pick it up and it'll get back where it was(ifthat makes sense).

[8doubles]

If she grumbles and fluffs herself up when you open the nestbox it probably means she`s broody. If so keep her out of the nest if possible to make sure  she gets food and exercise.
They do not like being evicted but she may lose condition if broody for too long.

[Brenda Babes]

Thank you for replying so quickly! She is grumbling and fluffing up so reckon you are both spot on!!! Picked her up and took her into the garden for some potato peelings (her favourite) ........poor wee soul!!!

[orchardlady]

If you don't want her to be broody which you probably don't at this time of year put her in a cage that has a wire bottom on some bricks for a few days. I use an old dog crate with the tray removed. Make sure she has food and water and is protected form the elements. It seems mean but not being able to sit and having a bit of air round her nether regions will soon put her off!

[rachelr]

I have al;so been told to put the hair dryer on cold and gently blow the area.

[themagicaltoad1]

Mine are stubborn b*****s when they're broody and nothing I do stops them. You might have to put up with it for several weeks until she comes out of it herself.

[evie2]

I'm sure on here I've seen from Joyful or/and Aunt Sally, dunking their bottom in cold water can stop them being broody, no one likes a cold bottom

[themagicaltoad1]

I'm sure on here I've seen from Joyful or/and Aunt Sally, dunking their bottom in cold water can stop them being broody, no one likes a cold bottom

Wrong! mine thoroughly enjoyed it

[hillfooter]

One of my chickens (a 6mth old Light Sussex) has stopped laying and is spending a lot of time just sitting in the nesting box. Very strange behaviour for her as she usually runs around the garden with the kids, very sociable and friendly! I feed her spaghetti, boiled brown rice, potato, buckwheat,corn and some organic layers pellets.........a mixture of all. Is this normal or does she need a trip to the vets? Please help!!!

Yes your hen is broody.

However I'm more concerned about the diet you are feeding.  This is not a good diet to feed on a regular basis.  Layers should be fed on a staple diet of Layers Pellets adlib and in the evening you can give a handful of corn each.  The other miscellany of treets should only be given ocassionally and be no more than about 5% of their diet.  It's never a good idea to mix different foods together as they will pick out the treets first and probably scratch out the layers to get at them resulting in a horribly unbalenced diet.  Layers pellets are formulated to giver a balanced mix of nutrients essential for layers which is being compromised by your treets.  Pasta and rice are especially bad fed on a regular basis.  I hope you are boiling the potato pealings too as uncooked starch is almost indigestible.  Chx are foraging animals who basically eat a diet of low energy dense food and get the calories they need by eating a lot of bulk.  Pasta and most refined foods are too high in energy and if fed too much the chx risk becoming obese, developing fatty liver disease or bordom habits as they are discouraged from foraging and being active.

Best wishes
HF