Broody Chicken with fertile eggs

[Suzanne Buseski]

I am hoping for some advice here as this is a first for me. I let my broody chicken sit on some eggs and never really started counting days at all. I have candled the eggs and see they are fertile and developing but I feel like it has been over 21 days now. How can I tell they are still viable and not dead? She has not moved from her box and has really been a good mom but is there anything I can do to tell if they are viable without causing issues with the hatch?
thanks!

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

Have you tried comparing your candled eggs to online photos of candled egg development? If you can't figure it out perhaps try posting photos of the eggs while being candled on to here and others nay be able to help

 

[Suzanne Buseski]

Well great news! One hatched this AM! What is everyone’s recommendations? Currently I have mom and baby blocked off in their own corner of coop with chicken wire as there is still two more eggs to hatch. Once all the eggs are hatched do I leave mom there with babies or do I just pull the babies and separate? I am afraid the other chickens or rooster will injure babies if I don’t isolate.

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

Where is your hen at on the pecking order?

 

[Suzanne Buseski]

I would say pretty high. She doesn’t get picked on and is very protective so far of the baby