5-year old hen broody for the first time?

[aart]

Last night, I was going to sneak some fertilized eggs under my older hen, but I realized that the two eggs she was sitting on were cold to the touch, even though they appeared to be under her... what does this mean? Does she lack the instinct of my orpington and just doesn’t know how to do it properly?

Hard to say what's going on here.
How long has the Orp been setting?

I like to keep broodies separated by wire wall from the flock.

 

[Lori J]

Hard to say what's going on here.
How long has the Orp been setting?

I like to keep broodies separated by wire wall from the flock.

They started setting at the same time. I’m beginning to think that the older hen is a wannabe lol. But maybe she is not producing whatever hormones are necessary to drive the broody behavior. She is still not puffing or clucking. I do have a separate small coop for broody hens, but there are two nesting boxes there and whenever the broodiness started, they were two hens there. Both Walk down the ramp once a day and eat drink and poop. I put food in the coop, but they are both coming out into the common areas to eat and drink instead. I usually lock the coop, but since there are two in there and they seem to want to come in to the common areas instead of using the food and drink there, I haven’t locked it this time. Maybe I should? However I don’t want to lock the older hen in if she is not truly broody. Maybe I need to tweak things in there.... when you say you had a wire screen, Is she still able to leave the nesting box area to relieve herself?

 

[aart]

when you say you had a wire screen, Is she still able to leave the nesting box area to relieve herself?

Yes, the area is 4x6' and there is a separate run area too.
Ignore the confused 'backwards broody', she figured it out eventually.

 

[Lori J]

Yes, the area is 4x6' and there is a separate run area too.
Ignore the confused 'backwards broody', she figured it out eventually.
View attachment 2616500

Thank you! My small coop is pretty small. I’ll post a picture. Please ignore all the brush. We cut down part of a tree Sunday and then the chainsaw broke.

 

[Lori J]

Thank you! My small coop is pretty small. I’ll post a picture. Please ignore all the brush. We cut down part of a tree Sunday and then the chainsaw broke.

Looks like she shoved the original broody off the nest today!

 

[aart]

That's tight space!
You only have these two birds?

 

[Lori J]

That's tight space!
You only have these two birds?

That is just a couple of the “preferred” nesting boxes. There are others in another area, but, as is typical of chickens, they don’t want to use the other nesting boxes, no matter how many are available. They free range. No worries.