Help, My hens are killing the chicks they are hatching!

[hholzschu]

So this year I had two old lady birds decide to sit on a nest in my barn. Because I was in a old stall I'm not using I decided to let them. Both took up residentcy on the same nest...So I had roughly 12 eggs then they started missing...I thought maybe something was snatching them. Then there were nine eggs and it stayed that way for a long time so I never paid it much thought again. Then all of a sudden I was down to 7, 6, 5 and yesterday 4. Now last night before I went to bed I saw a crack in an egg and it was chirping so this morning early I went out and sure enough I had a baby chick. All of a sudden those two lady birds went after that baby with a vengence! So I pulled the baby and now it's a brooder I threw together in a half hour in my basement. We have hatched multiple times so I have all the equipment. It appears fine and I put a small stuffed animal in there to keep it company. I was just checking on it and it's alert and appears unharmed by the old ladies. No here is my problem! What do I do about the other eggs? Do I take a chance and try my incubator and wonder if I have the temp and humidity right for a end hatch cycle or do I just try my best to check and steal the babies as they hatch??? Help! I don't need more chickens but I don't want this poor baby to be alone either.

 

[sourland]

I would remove the most aggressive hen from the nest and allow the other to keep setting - monitoring closely. I have had varying degrees of success when hens co brood on a nest.

 

[hholzschu]

I would remove the most aggressive hen from the nest and allow the other to keep setting - monitoring closely. I have had varying degrees of success when hens co brood on a nest.

 

[hholzschu]

So should I pull the other eggs and incubate them and hope they hatch or let them hatch under a bird and hope I get to them quick enough?

 

[hholzschu]

At least the baby looks good

 

[ronott1]

Put them into the incubator.