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Hi. Hope this is the right place to post as it's not entirely a "health" issue, more a behavioural one. I bought 4 POL hybrids a few months ago. The intention was "pets with benefits", a small mixed flock of pretty birds to do their stuff, help with weeding and pest reduction in our large garden and orchard and produce a few eggs. We take our responsibilities to all our pets seriously, and we read up on the topic and talked with other chicken keepers before buying.

All has been fine, I have trained my hounds to leave the birds alone, and they now have free range as well as a large run and hen house for when we're out. They are fed cut maize, layers pellets and kitchen scraps, and are all well. Three of them are laying an egg almost daily. However, 6 weeks ago, the Light Sussex hybrid, "Blanche" went broody, and despite repeatedly taking her out of the nest box, dunking her bum in cool water as advised by the breeder, and locking her out of the henhouse when the others have laid, she is still definitely broody.

I take her out and stand over her whilst she eats, drinks and defecates, and bring her into the wild garden at the farthest point from the henhouse, and she will spend a good couple of hours happily scratching with the others then suddenly shriek and rush off like a demented Dowager Duchess to sit as close to the nest boxes as possible.

I have noticed she is quite aggressive towards the dogs and cats, and she is the only one who doesn't crouch in deference to me. The breeder says she thinks it's the hot weather that has triggered this behaviour. Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received!

She's hormonal - we can all get a bit touchy with the hormones ;) The dogs a and cats will learn to keep out of her way I'm sure :)... and I would personally just leave her to it. She'll come out when she's ready.

Its pretty much guaranteed to end the day you decide to buy some hatching eggs to put under her! (Well, it did for me and my broody girl!)

Would buying her some hatching eggs bring her round faster tho? I think we have room for another one or two hens, and wouldn't mind some chicks, but I worry about her losing body weight the amount of time she seems to want to spend crouched in a dark nest box.

She'll pop out from time to time to eat - you might not see her, but she will for short bursts when she needs to. Tando would charge around like a little thing possessed!

I would put some eggs under her, if you have room, and can deal with unwanted cockerels - but a lot depends on your individual set up :)

Hello,
I would get yourself some hatching eggs and put them under her, but yes think about the unwanted Cockerals!
She should be fine sitting on the eggs, she will get off to feed but if you can put her on her own with own food/water. She may get bord before eggs hatch and leave them(this is always heartbreaking!!) but its nature and she will do want she wants, and prob for reasons you'll never know.
Theres nothing like hatching the natural way!
Good luck, hope it all works out well.
Angie

Well, I had identified a local source of Barnevelder hatching eggs. But then on Saturday, my daughter - having locked the hens out after the three had laid - neglected to let them in again at dusk, and so I returned from a long day out at 9 pm to find them all perched on the ridge of their run, slightly damp and aggrieved. I put them all to bed for the night, but since then (touch wood)Blanche has spent her days with the other 3, feeding and foraging in the garden. She's lost her aggression towards the cats and dogs, tho my whippet puppy cannot adjust to this change, and is still play bowing to Blanche as an invitation to play "chase"! She's not laying yet, but I expect it will take a while for everything to settle down again?
Thanks for the advice! I was starting to get really worried.