did I kill my hatchlings?

[DutchChicky]

Can somebody tell me, if I killed my hatchling, by taking off mother hen , to look if there were any babies yet?
My little Cochin hen is sitting on 8eggs, only one of them are hers, the other ones are from my other Chickens, who decided she was a good alternate broody.
Now I got my first baby on Sunday morning. I was SOOO excited!!!. This is the first year I have chickens and learning every day some new thing about them.
Monday I had an other egg pipped (cracked) and heard lot of tapping and peeping. Two oter eggs where 'making noise'.
Looked again this morning, the cracked egg had worked it self half way around the egg, was not making noise though, I believe.

This afternoon I looked again and no progress, beak was sticking out a little, I saw right away chick was dead.
Other two eggs that I heard noise from yesterday, couldn't hear anything from today.
Long story short, did I kill them by looking twice a day and chancing the temprature on them, I only had the mother hen off for 5 minutes.
It did rain last night and temp dropped at least 10degrees here in NJ. She is outside out off the rain.
Thanks for any comments!!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Michelle...I think it's just one of those things. I don't think you killed them. The same thing happens when you hatch in an incubator. I've never used a broody hen, but I do plan to try it as soon as one of my hens gets broody. From what I've read, there seem to be more chick losses with broody hens for all of the obvious reasons. Stepping on them...ambient air temp. changes, other hens, even the broody hen pecking the eggs, etc. Jump back up on that horse and try again!!

 

[DutchChicky]

thanks for the quick repley!!!
I'll try my best not to get to sad, just jope for the best on the rest of the eggs.
I'll try to control my urges to go in there and look!!
Also because the hen still sits on the other eggs , she is not taking the little baby to drink, should I worry about that. He/she is eating , I keep it right in front of the hen on some newspaper.
Thanks

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

The baby can live on the absorbed yolk for around 2 days, so I wouldn't worry about the water. Certainly you can take some water and feed to the hen and see if the baby will drink.