Help - did I do the right thing?

[princess layer]

I've got two LS bantams which have been brooding side by side. They are completely inseparable so I thought this arrangement might work. Anyway, today is hatching day and earlier four eggs were pipping. I heard some loud cheeping just now and looked in the coop to see that both broodies are now sitting on one of the nests and there is a lone chick flopping about in the other nest, together with a couple of unhatched eggs.

The hens were showing no sign of looking after the chick, which is completely different to my previous hatching experience. So I picked the chick up and put it in a brooder inside. Was this the right thing to do or should I have left it with the hens and hoped for the best? Should I put it back or wait to see if they manage to hatch any others first?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

I would -- my opinion: wait until dark, when they are asleep, more or less... put each of the hens back on their own nest, with their own eggs. The important thing is to know which eggs are supposed to hatch when. (Did they all go under the hen, start broody, the same day or within one day of each other?). Put the chick back under the hen (either). IF the hens insist on sitting on the same nest together... put the chick under them there. This MAY work... it did for a friend of mine, she actually had four hens right next to each other, when the chicks hatched, only two stuck with it... and they are sharing the babies. The babies don't much care who is keeping them warm. I would not have moved the chick to the brooder... one chick never does well by itself... I would move it back under a hen tonight, at dusk / bedtime. Others may have a better idea... different chickens respond differently. The most important thing is to keep hens that want to lay an egg, NON-broody hens, "other hens" out of the nest and away from the broody ones.
Best of luck.

 

[princess layer]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Well I've put the chick back under one of the hens - the hen didn't seem to mind so fingers crossed! I really hope it works - despite being three hours old this one seems to be the loudest chick in the world so I didn't fancy keeping it in the house...