Hatching abandoned eggs

[FreeBirthMama]

I put a dozen eggs under a broody hen. She hatched chicks last year. I forgot to mark the eggs, and 2 days later there were 18 eggs under her I couldn't tell what was what, so I left them. A few days later, one broke when another hen got in the nest. That left 17. 2 days ago they started hatching. Most hatched yesterday. But today Mama hen left the remaining 5 eggs in the nest and took the chicks off with her. Of the remaining 5 eggs, 2 are already pipped and the chicks are moving and peeping. I don't have an incubator. I put them under a laying (not broody) hen to buy some time to set up something for them. Now I've got them in a large ice cream container with a glass of warm water for humidity, sitting on my warm, sunny window ledge, with plastic wrap on top so I can still see them. What else can I do to give them their best chance?!?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I know this I late, but you'll probably want to poke some holes in your plastic wrap so you don't suffocate your eggs.

Have they made any progress?

 

[FreeBirthMama]

I did leave holes for them 3 of the eggs pipped and just as they started to zip (luckily at nightfall when Mama hen was on her nest) I put them back under Mama as they hatched! She accepted them as her own without question One of them has weak legs though. It was the last to hatch and it walks around on its knees. Still manages to get around to the food and water, so I'm hoping it just needs some time to strengthen.