The Story of a Broody LEGHORN!

[CluckNDoodle]

what if she keeps pecking at it

If she's being aggressive towards the chick I would not leave it under her. I would try to keep the egg somewhere warm (preferably in an incubator if that's an option) your goal temperature is 99.5°F. Do you know what the estimated hatch date is? And are you able to take a picture of what you're seeing?

 

[chkncrazy]

Have you tried feeling her crop to see if there's anything in it? She might be coming off for food when you aren't looking. And if she is eating, then you don't need to bother her about it.

If she really doesn't seem to be eating, you could try lifting her off the nest and putting her by the feeder or waterer, at some distance from the nest. For some hens, that is enough to get them started eating, drinking, and pooping--then they run back to the nest again.

Yeah I've been feeling her across I don't know if you can tell from the picture but the food is hooked right there and there's a little water a couple feet away from the nest and I haven't noticed any water missing or any food missing....... although as in a UPDATE: I held a shot glass near her and got a beer drink a good amount every building a the water needed to be close to the top for her to be able to drink it!!!

 

[chkncrazy]

It's normal for most broody hens to ignore you when they're on the nest. I've had a few that would take things from me but most of them are "in the zone" lol. They will get up when they're ready to eat, drink, and potty.
My White Leghorn was a great Momma hen too, even though I was told broodiness was bred out of the breed. I guess even Leghorns can't resist cute little peeps being raise next to them, lol.

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Holy smoke she looks exactly like mine letting on I know people will say they all look the same but they don't I can tell my apart even when I had 10 of them at 1 point lol... all my Leghorn have been pretty easy going, I haven't had any trying to fly the coop or that we're nuts although I did purchase them as polished about 10 weeks old every time or I baby chicks... so far the craziest chicken at run into is the Whiting true blue she just does not warm up if you get anywhere close to her around 4 feet she freaks out... she's about three years old now and steadily lays a medium sized Blue Egg everyday... basically replace my chicken every 2 to 3 years last time I had a real mixed bunch I had to get rid of I had some Red Ranger females held back for egg laying because I heard they were so great but they got up to 18 lb and laid tiny little eggs lol... but never got bigger as well as a Rhode Island red and an Easter Egger I basically rescued from somebody who was only feeding them cracked corn they were a couple years old and after being with me for a month they started laying steady I sold the whole group and kept only the Whiting true blue and the Leghorn and got 10 chicks in the beginning of July... 2 Welsummers 2 Amberlinks, 2 Rhode Island Blues 1 black sex link...3 Ameraucanas one has feathered legs lol..one is a beautiful splash which is starting to turn pink I hope its not a boy..and the other is an amber one.... sorry for the long text hopefully everyone else reads it so they get updated LOL!!

 

[chkncrazy]

The one in the front is the Mystery EE it has a straight comb ..muffs and feathered grey/black legs...its same size more or less as its peers..Any ideas?

 

[chkncrazy]

This is the Splash...that when I brought home was scrawnynand had a splayed leg which self corrected in 4 days...theynwere 4 weeks when I got em..maybe she slipped..idk...but im starting to think the she is a he...

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

Super cool, I want my Leghorn to go broody. But chicks scare her XD. Your EE like female, but I'm really bad at sexing EEs.

 

[chkncrazy]

Super cool, I want my Leghorn to go broody. But chicks scare her XD. Your EE like female, but I'm really bad at sexing EEs.

Lol!!! they probably don't scare her as much as they annoy her but when they go broody all that goes out the window

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Holy smoke she looks exactly like mine letting on I know people will say they all look the same but they don't I can tell my apart even when I had 10 of them at 1 point lol... all my Leghorn have been pretty easy going, I haven't had any trying to fly the coop or that we're nuts although I did purchase them as polished about 10 weeks old every time or I baby chicks... so far the craziest chicken at run into is the Whiting true blue she just does not warm up if you get anywhere close to her around 4 feet she freaks out... she's about three years old now and steadily lays a medium sized Blue Egg everyday... basically replace my chicken every 2 to 3 years last time I had a real mixed bunch I had to get rid of I had some Red Ranger females held back for egg laying because I heard they were so great but they got up to 18 lb and laid tiny little eggs lol... but never got bigger as well as a Rhode Island red and an Easter Egger I basically rescued from somebody who was only feeding them cracked corn they were a couple years old and after being with me for a month they started laying steady I sold the whole group and kept only the Whiting true blue and the Leghorn and got 10 chicks in the beginning of July... 2 Welsummers 2 Amberlinks, 2 Rhode Island Blues 1 black sex link...3 Ameraucanas one has feathered legs lol..one is a beautiful splash which is starting to turn pink I hope its not a boy..and the other is an amber one.... sorry for the long text hopefully everyone else reads it so they get updated LOL!!

Whiting True Blues are usually flighty in my experience too. They're my best layers though!
I too have loved my Leghorns and I'm going to be adding some Isabella Leghorns to the flock next year!

 

[MysteryChicken]

@MysteryChicken

I'd suggest adding blue food dye around the broken bit of shell, & see if that will stop the broody from pecking?

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

If she's being aggressive towards the chick I would not leave it under her. I would try to keep the egg somewhere warm (preferably in an incubator if that's an option) your goal temperature is 99.5°F. Do you know what the estimated hatch date is? And are you able to take a picture of what you're seeing?

I Took the egg away from her after she tried to peck it again, its under a heating pad will see what happens in the AM...BUT i am hoping it will make it but maybe not...poor thing..broody has a fake egg under her now......hope she snaps out of being broody