Broody hen dilemma

[laura8700]

So eggs were due today. I have two silkies sitting.
Long story long, they both went broody while I was out of town and my chciken sitter let them sit and they were grabbing every egg they could get. When I got back I marked eggs because the other ladies were still giving them daily eggs and started removing those daily.
I have four nieces under 5 who went to the coop with their mom and did an egg shuffle and moved eggs thinking they were collecting them. One was left out from under the Broodies into an entirely separate box. I of course freaked out and brought that one inside and stuck it in the incubator. Yesterday morning I went to the coop and we have a baby. Just one little baby. The girls are still sitting but the one pecked the little one so I had to kind of hide it behind her instead of in front ( I got the broody box ready just in case I needed it )
I went ahead and put incubtor egg in lockdown yesterday as well.
This morning the baby is now under the other mom and no other eggs have hatched.

How long do I give the mamas to hatch the eggs before I pull them to candle and possibly add to incubator with this other one?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd give it another 24 hours because by then she'll likely come off the nest to tend to the live chick.

 

[laura8700]

Thank you, baby is back under mama 1. I may be crazy but it seems like mama 2 is shivering ;(.

 

[laura8700]

So mama 2 has an egg that has successfully pipped and is chirping. My daughter was in the coop later just visiting the other girls (the other mama is fine with the first baby now) but this mama got up looked at the egg and started pecking at it. Daughter grabbed the egg and called me down. There is def blood showing probably from the membranes and a good chiunknof shell missing as if mama stepped on it, not the normal zipping cracks. Aye aye aye . Theses girls are giving anxiety. I put the egg back under her but now to keep close eye on mama that she doesn't attck baby before it has a chance !

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I make sure the broodys have no disturbances at critical times but really from the time the eggs go under them till they're out and the mom leaves the nest with them.
I don't candle or remove hens from nests. It's just a wait and see thing, sitting on my hands.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Nice chick pic, by the way.

 

[laura8700]

Thanks. So mom
Just got up and the baby has basically hatched . Still kind of in shell and sleepy. We shall see. I didn't touch it. But I did give the mom a talking to to get back in and mother it . She is back in nest now with it. Hoping it's going to make it

 

[laura8700]

This is what I saw when I lifted her tail fluff.