My wife's flock

[lighthorseman]

My wife raised three chicks that a broody Bantam rejected. They are grown now and the one rooster is continually mounting the smallest hen. She has laid a few eggs, but my experience with Bantams before is they will go off and find a secluded and quiet spot to set their clutch, but so far she is laying very inconsistent yet not acting at all broody. I am assuming her eggs must be getting fertilized as often as I see "Lazarus" mounting her several times in a day. To encourage a new mother is there anything else we need to know or do?

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

Broodiness is a hormonal shift, so no, there really is nothing you can do to make her broody. While some breeds are more likely to do so, there's really no guarantee.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

You could try leaving 6 or so golf balls or fake eggs (ceramic, wooden or plastic) in your nest boxes. I keep a stash of golf balls to encourage broodiness. It usually works, but I also normally add them to one of the nest boxes in the Spring. SunkenRoadFarms is right though, you really can't make them do it, you can only encourage them. They might take the "bait", or they might not.
Good luck.