A 'broody' hen is a hen that wants to hatch its own eggs. ... The combination of prolactin and sunlight makes her broody, and she will sit on the recent eggs she has laid. She will also likely steal other hens' eggs to make a 'clutch' of eggs. A broody hen will sit on its eggs all day.

Why is my hen suddenly broody?

When a hen is broody, it means something — instinct or hormones — have triggered a response in the bird making her want to stop laying, hatch the eggs she already laid and raise chicks, regardless of whether those eggs have been fertilized by a rooster.

How do you stop chickens from being broody?

How Do You Stop a Broody Hen? You can stop a broody hen by removing her from her nest, using a frozen water bottle, removing nesting material, separating her in a cage, or just giving her some fertile eggs to sit on.