Hens go broody when you don’t want them to… and won’t go broody when you do. 
Some broody hens are more high strung than others. I have such a hen. Thankfully she's now reaching the end of her tenure with her current brood and the hormones are beginning to taper off.
When she was caring for the new chicks, she behaved frantically at times, just as your younger broody, flying off the handle at any chickens getting too close, and sometimes the chicks would end up getting trampled and scattered in the ensuing scuffles. She would "peck" at them, a maneuver meant to gather them under her more than it was to hurt them.
Because of how high strung she was, in those early weeks when the chicks were small and she was beginning to integrate back into the flock, I would supervise things, shuffling the broody and chicks back into their segregated enclosure when the stress seemed to be too much for her to handle.
Your touchy broody mum may benefit from having a private space to chill out, especially during the initial period when the chicks are tiny and helpless.
When she was caring for the new chicks, she behaved frantically at times, just as your younger broody, flying off the handle at any chickens getting too close, and sometimes the chicks would end up getting trampled and scattered in the ensuing scuffles. She would "peck" at them, a maneuver meant to gather them under her more than it was to hurt them.
Because of how high strung she was, in those early weeks when the chicks were small and she was beginning to integrate back into the flock, I would supervise things, shuffling the broody and chicks back into their segregated enclosure when the stress seemed to be too much for her to handle.
Your touchy broody mum may benefit from having a private space to chill out, especially during the initial period when the chicks are tiny and helpless.
