Broody hen killing chicks before they hatch??

[AmericanMom]

I have a young Pullet 6.5 months old that's been sitting for 18 days... Everything was fine this morning and I geared up to see some fuzzy butts within the next few days... Had to run errands, came back and there was an egg (looked to be hatched) sitting outside of her nest...I thought yippee, she is a keeper, hatched them early!!! Decided to take the egg out but when I picked it up realized the chick was still in it... The hen had pecked holes around it thus killing the chick before it even had a chance to pip... I made a snap decision because I have read here so many times on good broody's but bad momma's I removed her, took the 5 remaining eggs, replaced them with dummy eggs and put the 18 day old eggs in the bator along side some eggs I have that are on day 16... I candled first, all are alive and right where they should be as far as air cells and such.. I am going to hold upon uping the humidity until I get an internal pip so as to give the 2 day behind eggs a day or so more.

Here is my question...
Momma went in and sat on the dummy eggs ok (so far) what is the likely hood that once these hatch I can take them to her (at night of course ) and that she wont murder them while I sleep?? I mean, this was kinda a test hatch, I hadn't expected another broody and broke my own rule of not allowing pullets to go broody but yeah, here I am and there she is and should I figure just raising these with those I have in the bator and break her??

I know the question has been asked about what to do with the eggs which is why I didn't give her another chance and just took them, but I haven't found anywhere about giving her the hatchlings back..

 

[Flutterbee]

Maybe something was wrong with the chick? I'm not sure, in my opinion, I wouldn't risk it. My friend, Brittany, had a hen who did that and she decided to give her another chance and put the chicks under her after she had them in the incubator. Long story short, the mother went and pecked out all of their eyes (killing two) and now she has a clan of blind chickens. Best be on the safe side. Good luck!

 

[bobbi-j]

Such a dilemma! I don't know what I'd do in that case. The only way you'd know for sure if she'd raise them is to give them back, but I hate the idea of taking a chance with their little lives. And you're already planning on raising some yourself, so it really wouldn't take any more effort to keep these and raise them, too. I wish there was a quick, simple answer for you.

 

[AmericanMom]

Such a dilemma! I don't know what I'd do in that case. The only way you'd know for sure if she'd raise them is to give them back, but I hate the idea of taking a chance with their little lives. And you're already planning on raising some yourself, so it really wouldn't take any more effort to keep these and raise them, too. I wish there was a quick, simple answer for you.

We have two internal pips this morning!! YAY!!!!

I am keeping them and raising them with the other hatchlings... Momma is confined to the broody breaking cage along with her sister who was trying to go broody.. I decided last night to not chance it...
Love to here the little peeps!

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't blame you for not giving them back to her. You just never know...