My little fuzzy butts are New Hampshire's. They were cute little yellow balls of fuzz. At two months old they are really beautiful. Much more so than my Production Reds (pictured) at that age. I have barely noticed their feather exchange.
I never had squashed chicks when my game girls would hatch out chicks. The chicks just would just come in and out from Mama as they pleased. I have had chicks crushed from other chicks coming off the roost in the morning.
I've never heard of sand-brooding. I have a broody cochin -mix. She's just about a year old and has only been laying a couple of months. She was being really irritating the couple of weeks before going broody. Maybe that was a sign. I had just about gave up on any of them going broody and then...