Some quick questions before I give my hens some eggs to hatch.

[BallsEleven]

4 of my 7 hens are broody

I've got 3 production reds and 4 white leghorn/RIR mixes. 3 mixes and a red are broody and I am thinking about giving them a couple eggs to sit on.

My biggest issue right now is that even though I have 4 boxes, 3 of them want to sit in one box. I haven't had any cracked eggs (from the other hens) yet but realize there is a decent chance of this happening. Is there any method out there of drawing the girls into the 2 empty boxes?

I think I'll get a dozen blue australorp eggs and split it between them. I guess I'll keep them all together with the flock instead of separating and reintroducing later.

TIA

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Put some fake or infertile eggs in the free nest boxes, and take the ones from under the hens and put them there.
You can also separate them in a small coop, like an omlet eglu or rabbit hutch.