Broody mama abandoned eggs during hatch - input welcome!

[cariboo]

My 1st time broody hen had 12 eggs under her until yesterday (Day 22). I checked on her a couple times during the day yesterday, and she had kicked out/smashed 2 undeveloped eggs, and killed 2 newly hatched chicks. This morning sometime between 6:30 & 10AM she had escaped the brood area (4' high enclosure within coop) and gone to sit in the regular nest boxes. I panicked and grabbed the remaining 8 eggs (lots of peeps coming from them, several have pipped) & brought them into the house. I currently have them under a heating pad, with a damp paper towel between the eggs and the heating pad that I'm moistening every so often with a spray bottle to keep the humidity up. Temperature is ~35C (95F) under the heating pad. Not sure about humidity, but it's probably above optimal.

Anything else I can do, or anything that I should be doing differently, to help these chicks survive? I do have a brooder ready to go (mama hen heating pad method) when they're ready to transfer.

 

[Mvan42]

I wouldn't spray or keep damp paper towels around the eggs. This can cause them to get to cool.
I am assuming you don't have an incubator. So:
Can u get or do u have a Styrofoam cooler. If so put them in there with a heat light or regular light. Don't cover all the way, put a bowl of water for humidity under the light. I did this and had success hatching a few late hatchery before I bought an incubator.

 

[cariboo]

Thank you

I wouldn't spray or keep damp paper towels around the eggs. This can cause them to get to cool.
I am assuming you don't have an incubator. So:
Can u get or do u have a Styrofoam cooler. If so put them in there with a heat light or regular light. Don't cover all the way, put a bowl of water for humidity under the light. I did this and had success hatching a few late hatchery before I bought an incubator.

Thank you! Good point about the damp paper towel cooling them off! I just moved them to a styrofoam cooler. No heat light, but I've got a bowl of water underneath the heating pad, eggs on top of the heating pad.

 

[Mvan42]

Put the water on top also. Under won't allow moisture to move around. Good luck.

 

[Mvan42]

Also be prepared to assist. They may need it. There is a good article here if you haven't already read it.