First broody hen, one egg, can't get at her, bad spot to do this thing. Help?

[aart]

New problem, new broody....

So now I have another hen gone broody, been broody for about a week, I'd say. Only problem is, I have a three part nesting box, and she's been switching back and forth which nest she's sitting in. She'll be on one for two or three days, and then switch.

I've been pulling the eggs out, because I don't want them to start developing, especially if she's not going to stay on them. I figured I'd give her ten to twelve eggs once she settles down, but I just went to get eggs and she's switched again.


Any ideas? I've thought about marking some eggs and leaving them, see if she comes back, figure maybe she leaves, and then when she comes back from eating she goes to the nest that the others have laid in. Oddly, I have a three part nest box and she's only sitting on the outside two.

What should I use to mark the eggs? Any other advice to keep her from switching around?


Also, stupid question, since I've never had a broody raise chicks, but I know some birds will bring their young food, will a hen do that? Or will I need to figure out a way to make sure the chicks can get in and out of the box? It's not really designed very well for that.

I used a portable floor nest and put her in that in a partitioned off part of the coop,
gave her fake eggs to test her broodiness fora couple days in the new environment,
then gave her fresh fertile eggs to sit.

Took the partition wall down after the chicks were 2 weeks old and well established in the frigid weather we had at the time.
Set up a creep feed/water area for the chicks.
There were some pecking order issues with mama and a few flock members, chicks were never threatened and it all worked out.