Broody Hen Question

[Nsampsel]

At what age do hens start becoming broody? Is it as soon as they begin to lay, a while after, or can they get broody & want to set eggs before they even begin to lay their own?

I have 2 hens laying right now but the 1 I keep finding sitting on eggs isn't 1 of the ones laying yet...I think anyway.

 

[nurse_turtle]

It can be any of those. Some hens NEVER go broody and others seem to be constantly broody. If you reach in tot ouch the broody in question and she growls and puffs up, she's broody.

 

[Nsampsel]

My kids are the ones who have been collecting the eggs, so I'm not sure on the growling & fluffing part. All I know at the moment is that they keep telling me they have to chase a chicken off the eggs & seem to bring in a warm egg almost every time where the other egg is very cold & they didn't have to chase a chicken off of it.