Broody mess...I think I have disrupted something I shouldn't :(

[whatthecluck]

So Marsha and Ruby have done a wonderful job of setting clutches. I have carefully left box one and two alone and only collected from the others. They are both first time broodies and would sometimes mess up and get on fresh laid eggs and abandon theirs. I figured not to expect much. Of course many days other hens have gotten in and laid eggs at weird times so there is this fear I have of half developed chicks and etc...Basically a majorly staggered hatch time.
This morning I went out and they had completely abandoned the oldest box...which really has been set upon for over a month. Every single egg was cold. I figured it was time to discard that batch and see if they did better with the second nesting box that had started a little later by a week or two. So I threw an egg down to my Great Dane as I don't like to waste them. First one had zero baby in it and no development. Second one though did have a chick in it but it was not moving and I don't know what stage it was at I saw foot and no movement. So I felt terribly about dead abandoned babies in this batch.
About two hours passed and I decided I should go up and retrieve those so my broody didn't get confused and set on the hopeless batch. And I started putting them all into a plastic bag to get rid of...and....one was chirping and half unzipped! I grabbed it from the bag and stuck it under the broody. It stopped chirping. It is still breathing an hour later and under the hen, but it isn't out of the shell. I am fretting that I positioned it wrong and it is going to die? Should I leave it all alone? I put back EVERY egg in the bag under the broody...there are just a ton ugh. I have no idea but am guessing we could see a couple chicks then by tomorrow.
Goodness I am stressed. Will feel so much better if some babies are born. I hope I didn't go and mess this up. I have left them alone to do their thing for a long time. Just not long enough apparently. :/

 

[SilkieHenHoney]

I would trust the hen to know what to do.

 

[whatthecluck]

Feeling a little better, my broody is a gentle hen and doesn't mind me peaking under her wing. My biggest fear was that when I moved the egg earlier that I may have caused it to suffocate or something awful. But I was able to see that where it unzipped its little beak is now out and opening and closing and the chick is breathing. No peeping but I am going to hope it's just tired. Two broodies are now laying on one another anxiously awaiting this little one so I hope it goes well. They really have been setting a long time, they deserve at least one chick!

 

[whatthecluck]

The broody ate it!?!?! I went to check and there are two broodies in the box. Top one had blood on her beak and yolk, so I moved her off the nest and checked under the other broody. Half a shell, zero chick no signs of anything? How the heck could they eat the whole thing without so much as a trace???? Such a bummer.

 

[SilkieHenHoney]

Good luck!

 

[SilkieHenHoney]

The broody ate it!?!?! I went to check and there are two broodies in the box. Top one had blood on her beak and yolk, so I moved her off the nest and checked under the other broody. Half a shell, zero chick no signs of anything? How the heck could they eat the whole thing without so much as a trace???? Such a bummer.

I'm sorry. :*( If you can find out who it was I would take her out. She may do it again.

 

[SilkieHenHoney]

Good luck!

 

[whatthecluck]

I found the chick I went in and they had pecked at it and thrown it out onto the floor, it was still breathing and cold. I picked it up gently in my hands to warm it and look it over, Clearly missing feathers on the thigh, and wear the yolk sac attaches looks like a hole that may be exposing the abdominal cavity, I am uncertain. Eric kicked out the hen that was laying on the other broody that clearly had blood on her beak, but even my gentle hen had some yolk on her beak. I was very hesitant but we don't have a setup handy to put the chick under and Eric felt strongly that I needed to slip it under the broody hen. So I put under her tail end. Its not chirping and barely moving so who knows, but it is the only chance the poor thing has. I just fear they are going to do this more. Ugh my heart can't take this farmer crap lol.
At least I know that when I moved them no one was sitting on them so this probably would have still happened. {sigh}

 

[whatthecluck]

It's not going to make it 99% sure now. The good news is that I totally closed off that part of the coop now and cut down new branches for night perches for the other side of the coop so we can keep two Broodies on the remaining two boxes safe on one side and the mean broody can sit on a box of golf balls on the other side with the rest of the flock. It all closes up safely at night. The chick has not at all been pecked by the two hens in with it now so I feel good about whatever else hatches having a good chance at survival. I guess my broody cuckoo marans hen just thought the chick was an intruder?

 

[whatthecluck]

Well last check of the night and its still breathing but barely moving. She loves it too darnit. She has moved it up close to her head and has it under her feathers. Best chance it has, and at least it gets some Momma time. Such a bummer.
Has anyone ever seen a fairly lifeless little chick spring back? Worried mostly about it having been pushed out of the nest, the fall. Add to that an unabsorbed yolk sac and little hole around that whole area. I don't think it's good.