We are not really sure what is up with Omelette our white Leghorn chicken. She is really old, hardly lays eggs anymore and has recently started to just sit in the nesting area all day long, even at night when she usually would sit on the stick. When we go to get the eggs of the other chickens, she is sitting on them. She doesn’t seem to know or care that there is no rooster around to fertilize them.

Omelette giving me the evil eye

Unlike the other chickens, she won’t let us put our hand underneath her and grab the eggs. She has tried to peck us and fluffs up really big to defend her post. When I finally scare her off the nest she squawks like no other. We are not sure what to do. Do old chickens decide they want to go broody? Or is she just getting old and demented?

We would like to get some new chicks to replace her, but I don’t think we could catch her without her screaming her head off. She’s always been a little skittish ever since we got her. Any recommendations or ideas?