Broody Hen won't use her right leg

[heyteach6]

I have a 10 month old Buff Orpinger that decided to go broody and sit on some eggs. I didn't know how to break her of her need to sit on eggs, so I put a few fertile ones under her. She has been sitting in her nest for about a week, and other than her getting all puffed up when I put food and water in for her, she would get up or come out. I just checked her to see if the eggs were all still under her and notice her right leg extended behind her. She was also sitting on a big pile of poop which also tells me she's not moving out to stretch her legs at all. She has an open ramp to go in and out, but when I tried to check her today and clean up the poop, I noticed she wouldn't use that leg and just sat back down. She doesn't seem to be interested in food either. I could not see any cuts, bumps or anything out of the ordinary with her. Poop looked like poop, but VERY stinky-could have just been the close quarters and my over powerful sense of smell! Her roost has a few different heights, but her favorite one is only about 2 1/2 feet off the ground. She hasn't been out there for several days to roost, so I'm not sure how she could have injured it.

My question is....is this common? Do their legs fall asleep? I'm not sure what to do. Do I let her continue to sit on her eggs? I don't have an incubator, but I could probably borrow one if, heaven forbid, she died.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm reading all I can to figure this one out.

 

[Judy]

That is strange. I wonder whether she is actually broody, or just hiding there because something is wrong with the leg or hip. If she hasn't been out to poop, she may not be eating or drinking either. I think I'd start by putting food and water where she can reach them. You'll want to lift her out of the nest to get it cleaned up, and when you do this, notice whether she puffs up or growls, which are typical broody behavior. Occasionally a broody doesn't get off the nest, and actually dies from starvation.

 

[heyteach6]

I did lift her up and got a protest-puffing of feathers. I quickly cleaned where she was and then put her back. She has food and water where she can reach it while sitting on her eggs. She just keeps that leg extended and won't stand on it :-( She quit laying when she decided to brood. She would fight me for the unfertilized eggs and then eventually stopped laying. The eggs she is sitting on are from another chicken flock.