Broody white leghorn, or something else? Should I panic?....

[chics in the sun]

I have a 25 week old leghorn that spent all evening in the nesting box yesterday, then today at around 9am she went back in and has not yet come out. It is after midnight now, and I'm not sure if I shoudl start to panic about her being eggbound, or some other issue. I can't imagine she is broody. She is a white leghorn. A 25 week old one that has only been laying for about 3 weeks. Her eggs aren't even very big yet. When I try to get close she screeches at me with a weird, teradactyl-sounding noise. I put water in the nest box with her (I'm in Florida, it was a really hot day), but I'm sure she hasn't eaten all day. Any suggestions?

 

[chics in the sun]

So I decided to try and look under her after I posted. There were all three eggs for the day, plus the golf ball that was still in there (my Barred Rock was still trying to lay anywhere but the next box, so I had left it there). So it appears I do indeed have a 25 week old broody white leghorn.

 

[Elite Silkies]

I bet that doesn't happen very often with a Leghorn.

 

[DaniLovesChickens]

I have a California-gray Leghorn that has been behaving the same way but does seem to be laying eggs. It's impossible to get her off that nest though!
We have two hens and they are out of that nest within 5 - 10 minutes of laying. I don't know. Just weird.

 

[incubatingisfun]

does she peck you or puff up when you reach under her

 

[chics in the sun]

It looks like she is up and about this morning, but I bet she will be back on the nest all day. She has made her skinny little body as big and fluffy as she can, and when I get near her she doesn't peck or anything but makes a growling, squawking sound. I saw the Barred Rock get into the nest box with her, and I guess she just laid the egg sitting in the same box. Don't know when the PR got in there to lay hers, but I am glad I got all three eggs yesterday.

And no, I thought it was NEVER supposed to happen with leghorns! We'll see if she lays today. She hasn't missed a day yet!

 

[silkiechicken]

It happens!

I've known a leghorn to go broody and hatch out chicks, and even a female leghorn start crowing!

Good luck with the broody! If you choose to hatch eggs, make sure you mark them to know which ones to let stay in the nest.

 

[chics in the sun]

Yep, she went right back into the box after having some breakfast. Crazy bird. I don't have any eggs to put under her - I don't have a rooster, so I would have to buy some, and she is so young that I don't know I would trust her to follow through just yet. But boy is she focused!! Maybe I'll get a pic posted later.

 

[chics in the sun]

She has been there all day today. The other girls are mad at her for taking up the favorite nesting box all day. At what point do you think I should try and "break" her broodiness?

 

[silkiechicken]

If you have no plans for chicks, go ahead and break her now. Kick her out of the box, put her in a open bottomed cage to air out her bum, just make her feel bad and she'll probably quit being broody. All else fails though, you can buy a few chicks for her in 2-3weeks.