The Cottage Smallholder

Ooohhh  Sorry to disagree, but it is the opposite.  broody hens like quiet dark places to sit and brood their eggs, so if you want to break them of this you will need to put them somewhere they cannot sit down and feel warm and secure.  Often people use a dog cage within the hen run, but do make sure the hen has shelter from the elements and access to food and water.

Hens will often sit down for a while after they have laid an egg, I expect it is hard work and they need to get thier breath back, but if each day she stays on the nest a little longer, and squarks at you when you try to move her or get the egg this can be a sign of going broody

Hens normally make a lot of noise when they are just coming into lay, this is to attract a cockerel so the eggs will get fetilized.  They will also announce the fact they have laid an egg, again with the idea that a cockerel will rush over to fertilize the next batch, but often they calm down a bit when they realize no-one is about to appear. 

Often hens will crouch down in front of you, and sometimes people think they want to be stroked, but they are acutally inviting mating.

All the best

Sue