Help! Chicken disappeared and presumed sat on eggs somewhere

[Vlwood_10]

Good move!
Were all 8 chicks hatched when you moved her?
What's your plan to integrate her back into the flock?

Yes all 8 chicken were fully hatched and fluffed up. Oldest chick was 2 days old then. And fed the mother hen some corn and water before the move. Now having moved them all, she's already looking a lot better and getting her colour back .
I don't think integrating her herself will be a problem. She has been up eating along with the rest of the flock every day.
The rest of the flock can see the chicks with her where she is. When they are a few days old, I will lock the rest of the flock out of the coop for a short time, so she can wander around in there freely with her chicks. Then move them to safety again before I let the rest of the flock in. Then gradually integrate them. My last chicks that we hatched indoors, were moved out into the coop at just under 5 weeks old, and took only a few days to integrate with rest of flock.
So fingers crossed it goes smoothly this time too.
My only concern is the eggs I have in the incubator. Do I wait until they are fluffed up and place under her or will it be too late? Should I just keep them indoors until I can integrate about 5 weeks old? I am hoping at least 2 of these are hatched by tomorrow as they have internally pipped.

 

[Vlwood_10]

 

[CluckerFamily]

She looks so proud!!

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

Good job!

 

[aart]

My only concern is the eggs I have in the incubator. Do I wait until they are fluffed up and place under her or will it be too late?

Um, unless they hatch today I would not even attempt to graft them onto the broody.
Some broodies will take older chicks, so you can try, but I wouldn't count on it.
Have a Plan B.

Do you have space to brood the bator chicks right in the coop?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Backyard Hencam]

Oh, such a happy ending. So glad. She's really a beautiful hen. What breed is the rooster? An Icie too? Congratulations and blessings! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this story!

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

What a cool story!!! Keep going with the updates. Following!

 

[Vlwood_10]

Quick update....I have now resigned myself to the fact that if any of the 5 remaining eggs survive then we will rear them indoors in a brooder. I guess being late they could have issues. One egg pipped yesterday morning and now looks like it's away to zip. This is now day 27.

All of these eggs have hatched very late and I guess it's due to them not being warm enough under mamma to start with. She had made a nest straight onto cold soil and not lined it with her feathers.

Of the 4 other remaining eggs, there is life in definitely 2. Possibly all. I wonder at what point I may have to assist. Eggs have been wriggling and peeping.

 

[Vlwood_10]

When should one intervene and help with zipping? She's been zipping for 4 and half hours now. About half way round now. All my previous hatches have taken less than an hour to zip

 

[LaFleche]

After 24 hours without any progress. So stay away and let it do the zipping in its own time.

But best would be to not intervene at all because of the others.