OK, so I had a Brahma hen sit on eggs. It was her first time going broody. Today was hatch day. 3 days ago I found a dead chick out and the egg smashed, I figured she stepped on it and broke it. Then chicks started pipping last night and I think they were shrink wrapping!! She's apparently smashing the eggs as they hatch? The 1st chick to hatch was found out of the egg dead, looked smothered. One more pipped egg looked shrink wrapped as well. It was the first to pip. The shell was smashed up but the membrane was intact. I had my incubator full of silkie eggs. So, I took the hens eggs, put them in my incubator (brinsea mini) I put my silkie eggs on day 10, under the broody hen. I had one chick hatch almost immediately and it looks great. The shrink wrapped chick was stuck, so I assisted and tore over an inch of the membrane. It JUST hatched but was still stuck with membrane over the legs. I assisted again and now the chick is out and looks ok so far. I have 5 more eggs. All but one are pipped. Should I do anything else or just watch? I plan to clean the bator after the chicks finish hatching and put my silkie eggs back in the bator. Any other suggestions?? . Can I try to reintroduce the chicks to mom after they hatch? or just put them straight in a brooder?This is only my second broody hen. The first went off without a hitch and my silkie hen raised her chicks well!!
