How can i tell a hen is trying to sit on eggs?

[ninadeeputz]

I am new to chickens and acquired a flock of 19 hens and 2 roosters (the breed is Dominique). They all look exactly the same to me. I have 15 nesting boxes for them to sit in but they only lay in 5 of them. How can I tell if a hen is trying to sit on eggs? I can't tell if every time I walk in, its a new hen laying or the same one sitting. There are 2 hens always sitting in 2 of the popular boxes. Are they nesting or just laying? Is there any way to tell, or am I just going to have try and get to know my chickens better?

Any tips would be appreciated!

 

[sumi]

You have a bit of a dilemma LOL. If you don't know how to recognise a broody I think the best way would be to check on them in the evenings. A broody will sleep in the nest box. So if you find (what appears to be) the same hen in the nest box 2 nights in a row chances are she's broody. She will will also puff up, possibly screech and peck you when you remove eggs from under her. But then some of my non-broody hens have done that in the past, so it's not an entirely reliable method.