New to this.

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Lovely photos, thanks for sharing! Yes as @sourland mentioned above, it's possible she's gone broody and is setting on eggs somewhere. Keeping my fingers crossed this is the case!

Make yourself at home here and welcome to our community!

 

[muddy75]

 

[Knobby]

We were all once new to this, but with the guidance of folks on this forum, the experience has been a blessing!

 

[Exopoulterer]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Lovely photos, thanks for sharing! Yes as @sourland mentioned above, it's possible she's gone broody and is setting on eggs somewhere. Keeping my fingers crossed this is the case!

Make yourself at home here and welcome to our community!

I just got home and she has returned but only to eat so hard she looked like she was having trouble and back into the woods she went.

 

[Exopoulterer]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. Any possibility that Helga may be setting on eggs somewhere?

She was back today and must have hung around for a few minutes until we fed her. She was extremely hungry! She went off into the woods right after.

 

[TwoCrows]

I just got home and she has returned but only to eat so hard she looked like she was having trouble and back into the woods she went.

Sounds like she has a secret nest going on somewhere!

 

[Exopoulterer]

Helga returned for a few minutes just to eat. She was extremely hungry, ate, and left. Maybe she has eggs in the woods? I am so glad she is still around but not glad that she appears very hungry and stressed.

 

[TwoCrows]

Helga returned for a few minutes just to eat. She was extremely hungry, ate, and left. Maybe she has eggs in the woods? I am so glad she is still around but not glad that she appears very hungry and stressed.

Typical behavior of a sneaky broody and her hidden nest of eggs! Broodies are leary and cautious, they don't feed often so yes they get quite hungry and thirsty. Make sure the water is right next to the feed so she can get both quickly and back to her nest.