Are there ways to encourage Marans hens to go broody?

[thecuriouslynx]

I have an assortment of hens (26) with one good young rooster who is very vigorously and energetically doing his job! 7 of my hens are Marans and I am itching for some chicks! My hens are taking leisurely time now laying their eggs instead of just jumping in, laying and then jumping out again. None are staying off the roost and on the nest on my test eggs yet though. I have made a couple of dark corner nests for them which they like and all of the older girls like to lay in those, the pullets all go to the nest boxes. Is there anything else I can look for or do to help encourage them? The rooster is wonderful he will go into the corners and actually hollow out a nest for them and then call them over to it so they can see what he has done, then he talks to them - to lay eggs, he does this when they are in the nest boxes also. He is only 6 months old so I don't know if he would actually be fertilizing the eggs right now and perhaps the hens know this?

Curious.