Leghorn acting strange, maybe broody?

[Louise's Country Closet]

I can't figure out what's wrong with her! A while ago I posted about her never leaving the nest box and how when I picked her up she pooped all over me and was suddenly better. She started getting out with the other chickens and for a bit I thought she was going to start laying again... She was my best best best egg layer and now she hasn't laid in almost 2 months!! I can't figure out if she's molting (some of my other girls are) but she's always in the nest box trying to steal someone's eggs. She never stays in there though if I come in, she freaks out, screams at me and then leaves a trail of dust as she runs outside. If she was broody wouldn't she stay on the nest? It's just strange that she's in there every day and she's almost always laying on someone's eggs.

 

[dawnchick]

Sure sounds like a broody to me. They will change nests or eggs sometimes. Best cure is isolate her and let her hatch a chick or two. If you don't have a roo, perhaps a neighbor has a couple of fertile eggs. I had one stay broody for six months once. She certainly lost weight, and I have read they can actually starve; they do get off the nest but usually only once a day and that's not a lot of food.

Leghorns are typically "flighty" and won't let you near them; mine were and are. I'd guess she runs off because you're there but is soon back on the nest when you're gone.

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

Thank you!

I'll leave her with a few eggs tomorrow and see what she does then.

 

[dawnchick]

You're welcome, and good luck. Even if they don't hatch, hopefully she will give up on them in 3 or 4 weeks and go back to laying. Like when they start to smell funny to her.

My lone leghorn also lays an egg nearly every day; she's the only one who lays white eggs. She read the book about leghorns so she's never gone broody. Guess yours didn't.

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

Sounds exactly like my girls! I have RIR and one lone Leghorn and she use to lay me eggs every single day.. I thought it was strange when she stopped. My rooster likes to run in there all the time when she's not actually sitting on any eggs and kick her out so that she's not sitting in there all the time.