My Chicken is Half-Broody, How Can I Get Her to go All the Way?

[Hillary and friend's eggs]

Hi!

My Australorp is half-broody. Just before she lays the eggs, she will sit in the nesting box, gather all of the eggs in the box (or ping pong "eggs"), make a nest for them, sit on them, and occasionally turn them. After she lays the egg, she gets up and walks away. My question: How do I get her to go broody all the way? I would really like to hatch eggs for the first time!

Edit: If I get her broody all the way, will she need a private cage to raise her babies in? Will a separate cage help encourage her to hatch eggs? How big would this cage have to be?


Thanks!

 

[PlumTuckered]

I would think if she's still laying an egg she's not broody at all. I've got a buff Orpie who ran around fluffed up and clucking to invisible chicks for the past 3 weeks, she would also get in a nest of eggs, turn them, coo like crazy at them but then lay her own at the end of the afternoon. Happily 3 days ago she quit laying and got serious about being broody and she's setting 3 duck eggs for me I'll wait a little over a week and stick some chicken eggs under her as well. That way I get my ducklings when they hatch and she still gets babies to mother.

Michelle

 

[Hillary and friend's eggs]

Ok, so she's not broody, but is there a way to encourage her to be a serious mother?