How to raise Backyard Chickens: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Broody Hen + a few other questions!

I'll trade ha ha! I've been trying to get one of my girls to go broody! I want some babies. My hens didn't even start laying until I got them fake eggs. Golf balls didn't even work, but as soon as I put a fake egg in every box it was like a light went off in their head. They were about 7 months or so before they started laying. I have yet to have one go broody and my oldest hen is about a year and a half.

Speaking of my eldest hen "Whitey" (I'm so original). I have been noticing that she is the only one our rooster hasn't been servicing much and she lays down in the yard quite a bit. She eats, she drinks normal, no limping, poop seems normal, still lays me an egg a day like clockwork, her comb is normal in color... maybe a little dry. I see her pecking around the yard with the others but then she will kind of lay a minute while the others scavenge. I was sitting on my back porch and she came and got a drink out of the cat bowl and laid down sort of by me during their normal "evening scavenge" time. Just seemed kind of odd. Should I be concerned, could this be a sign she wants to be broody?

I have a 5 hole nest box and 2 or 3 fake eggs spread out. I thought about maybe getting some more fake eggs to put all in one box to see if I can't trick one into going broody. Will that work?

Thanks,

Oh and P.S. Now that I bragged on my Cogburn Junior I've got several hens with bald backs Grrr! Should I pen him up for a bit? Should I be worried about mites or something? One of my girls fell into the horse water trough and drowned last week so I've only got 5 laying hens now. From what I've heard that is way too few hens for him, but I'm working on getting more. I have 2 more juvenile girls and 6 more straight run babies that I hope aren't roos.

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