Yes, as Dunwaukin said, you will just have to be patient! Hens "go broody" when nature tells them to... not according to any schedule. Some breeds of chickens go broody more often than others. If your rooster is doing his job then most of the eggs should be fertile. You can increase your chances of chicks by making sure that the eggs you give the broody hen come from several hens instead of just the one setting.

Have you checked Soil, Compost and Mulch Forum - GardenWeb? They go a little overboard on the natural organic meme but one might extract an answer there.

I am aware of that and that is the reason they are going to be up against the deck. If they survive, they survive. If not, oh well. I have a few evergreens that survive here. I get a few mico-climates in this big yard. :) Ginny

Figs are supposed to have two crops; in spring from old growth and in fall from new growth. My experience is that the figs will just show up right at the points of new growth and depending on the variety one of those crops will be lacking. If they received the correct chilling hours, you will see a bit of growth and then figs right behind that. More branches and more places for growth = more figs.