I know how hard it is to watch that egg lay there under your hen or in your bator. You want to candle it, touch it and do everything but eat it. In my 55++ years around chickens, I will say the more you mess with them, the more trouble you will have. Once your hen starts to brood leave her be, she will do what is needed. If you are using a bator with a turner, the only thing you may need to do is add a little water. Each time you lift the lid, the temperture goes haywired, the huminity is screwed up. All these things cause the precentage of peeps to drop. Right now I have 15 hens brooding on God knows how many eggs, all I do for them is throw a little feed close to them and put water close by. They are all over the chicken yard, everyplace but in the coop. I thought I lost 2 hens in Dec., only to see them come out from under the barn leading their chicks. I do try to help Mother Nature out with my granddaughter's frizzles and silkies, but I let them do their share too. Your hens and Mother Nature with a little help a your roo will take care of what needs to be done.
