First time hatch, help!!!

[ChickenCanoe]

You don't move bales with eggs on top. That would be dumb. You remove the eggs and then the bales. Then put the eggs back.
You clearly haven't seen a hen of any size attack any other bird that threatened their chicks.
I'm so sorry you didn't get the answers you wanted to hear and I'm especially sorry you don't appreciate the input from one with nearly 60 years experience brooding and raising poultry and other avian species in multiple countries. I have been teaching college level poultry classes and presenting seminars at heritage poultry conferences.
I also apologize because when I see a red flag, I can't help myself but interject expert advice. Apparently you know more than I.
I leave you to your first hatch. I wish you luck. I'll have no more advice for you and leave you to your foibles.
Peace out!

 

[jas humbert]

@Saradee88
It sounds like a good normal hatch to me. Some will take a little longer than others to get consistently active and they often go to sleep after the rigors of hatching. I had a couple of late hatchers and the first hatcher was left in the incubator for nearly 24 hours at hatching temp and humidity and was fine. I've incubator hatched several times but it has been a while.

My incubator makes it easy to change temps so after everyone was hatched and dry I lowered temps and humidity a bit (96 degrees and 49% humidity) and and left them in another half day while I had some stuff going on. I've done broody hatches and done incubator babies and they are two different things but both have worked for me.

I was planning to raise these in my brooder but I had a crisis with my grown daughter and had to run Chattanooga to help her out for a few days so I ended up putting them under my two week broody who was excited to have them. My husband stayed home but I wasn't sure he'd be as careful with newbies as I am and the broody seemed the best bet for now. He's checked on her several times and sent me pictures of her teaching the chickies to peck for food. She's the bossiest silkie and having watched her raise chicks before I know she is good mom and capable of standing up to the big hens even when not broody. But I've also had broodies who were not particularly good moms and it sounds like yours has not raised chicks before? So no way of knowing how good a job she would do. You did what you felt made sense for you. We are all in different places.

 

[50-45-1]

I once had a broody hatch out eggs on top of a stack of hay bales. The chicks had to be rescued when they fell down into the crevices between the bales. It is not the best situation.
I think you did well if you only have 2 to which are already piped and may already have hatched by now.
Being a person who has raised chicks both ways, under a hen and in an incubator. I will say that the broody hen is by far the best and easiest way. No heat lamps, no clean up of newspaper, no dust and feather dander in my house, and no issues introducing chicks back into the exsisting flock. And almost all of my broody hens have turned into serious alpha Mama hen after chicks are born, and nobody (rooster included) better get to close.
If you had a separate pen you could still put the chicks under your broody tonight and she would be happy to take over the job of brooding them to the flock.
Your decision, you will be fine either way.
Congratulations on your chicks! Pictures always welcome.

 

[Santa Claus]

For starters, she put her nest on top of a stack straw bales that they no doubt would have died falling from, it's three bales high and just about shoulder-height to me. Fine for the adults to hop around on and chase bugs, not so ideal for little fluffers. Secondly, my other two hens are crotchety (They're about ten years old, Rhodies) and I have reasons to be concerned that they would attack the chicks. Third, the rooster is a dummy who flies into a panic at the drop of a hat, and I would worry about him trampling them (He's full-sized as well). Clearly, since they're hatching just fine, I made a good call. As I said, I'm just concerned about the humidity levels in the incubator for the chicks to dry out after hatching, I'm not worried about whether it was a good idea to take them out from under Ms. Broody or not.

They will dry and fluff just fine! Congratulations on your new chicks!