Sad/upset (broody?) hen

[grullablue]

I have 9 white leghorns. I read they aren't broody, and up until today (they started laying mid July) I've not seen any of them show any interest in laying on their eggs. Today, I went to gather, and one was laying on some. I shooed her from them and collected the eggs. All morning she's been distraught, going from nestbox to nestbox as if looking for "her" eggs. Now these are the same hens that were eating their eggs a few weeks ago, but I am now collecting them soon enough that I've not been missing out on any eggs...I'm getting about nine a day! But this girl is breaking my heart! Of course I don't want to put an egg back, because they'll probably eventually eat it...

Do any of you do anything for them, give them something to lay on, or just let them deal with it? I don't have anything here that I can find that even looks like an egg (that isn't one). Except some of my son's old plastic easter eggs....but, they are camoflauge colored, not white! She's nervous, going from box to box, making lots of noise, she's definitely upset. Just wondering if I should let it pass, or go buy her some golf balls to lay on or something....lol

Angie

 

[Chirpy]

She doesn't sound broody. A broody will sit on a nest and not move even if there are no eggs in there.

My leghorns do the same thing you are talking about. It's like they are trying to decide which nest box is the very best one to chose for her next egg. I wouldn't worry about her at this point. Mine will even get into one nest box and then decide it's just not feeling 'right' to her and leave it, walk back and forth in front of the nest boxes eyeing them all and then choosing another one to get into. Silly girls!