Hope the (Broody?) Hen

okay so something weird just happened. went  to collect eggs (no eggs, probably wait til later) and i saw my beloved little hen Hope in the box. I thought she was laying but she was puffed up and everything. So i ran inside and pulled out a few of her eggs and put them in front of her. She took the bottom of her beak and rolled them under (cutest thing you ever saw btw). Had to adjust her to be comfortable, and made sure eggs were invisible as not to be stolen. I am thinking of a cardboard construct to place there for her to enjoy herself while brooding. any ideas? i am bad with wood , nails, screw s, etc. but i rock at cardboard (started my chicken business in it).

Also this is to keep her socially in-touch (hearing the crowing, clucking, etc) but she can still brood in her special little nest that she loves (she is very picky about nests). She is on 3 or 4 eggs (can't remember)

so my questions are

do you have any broody-box ideas

when should i candle

Just went to The Home Depot to grab some materials. My idea is to build a construct from her box and the one before and the give her some other room with boxes and the side. It's better than it probably sounds.

But that doesn't matter because she was off the nest today and left the eggs. There was one egg from this other hen there (distinctly a diff. color) and I wished she got off before because I got all the stuff and it took me an hour... Is she just going to lay a clutch and then sit? How many eggs are in a clutch if this is true? And is there a way I can make her brood again? She seemed to really want to and when another hen went near she SQUAAK'd at her. Se was broody for an hour... I think she might be laying a clutch from what i understand

Okay...  i was just curious because once i heard they lay a certain amount and then sit... 

That's a great idea. Thank you. I also think she could potentially go broody again (this is her third time). I am currently preparing the broody box, which I will mount on her box and the one next to it (the other one will contain food/water and/or a dustbath). It is quite large and sturdy, and it allows a "closed door" to keep her nest dark to focus on her eggs. I believe the reason she did not stay on her eggs longer last time she brooded was because she got distracted/took break/went outside and never came back or forgot her nest. This way she can focus. This time she expressed the most broody signs (puffy, irritable, etc.) than before. I'll se how Hope is doing tomorrow. She is a great hen!