Handling eggs under a broody hen? Can I?

[ColoradoChicks]

So my crazy broody hen Maude has been the most patient girl in the world sitting on six eggs...me, not so much.

Two eggs hatched on the 4th of July (day 20). One chick (Liberty, shown here) made it. Don't know what happened with the other one - it looked perfect.



One egg was bad. So here we are with three unhatched eggs on day 22. Now, one more egg has started to pip.

I've been checking the eggs under her since day 18, picking them up and looking for activity. She also lets me pick up Liberty. She seems like she's gonna be a good mama.

I can't find any information about how much I can handle the eggs and chicks. Have I ruined the ones that aren't hatching by picking them up too much?

Human babies seem so easy compared to this.....

 

[Ridgerunner]

I honestly don't know. There is a whole lot going in under that hen during hatch. I generally find it best to let the hen do what whe instinctively does and leave her alone. The more I interfere, the more likely I am to cause a problem. I'm sure not going to make anything better.