I'm a serious rookie and am afraid for the welfare of new and unborn chicks in our hen house. On Feb 05 one hen got broody. I didn't want to isolate her because of the cold weather. I thought there were only 3 eggs at most under her because when I collected the eggs that day, they were about 3 eggs shy of normal. We decided to just let nature take it's course, figuring all three would hatch in 3 weeks if they were fertile. One week later, when she was off the nest eating, we discovered 9 eggs in the nest and realized she must have been hijacking other eggs that were laid on the ground next to her nest. My husband built a barricade of sorts to prevent any more of that, but we are not sure how long each egg has been under her. Yesterday, exactly 3 weeks from the day she got on the nest, I could hear peeping sounds from under her so I know at least one has hatched. What do I do now? How is the chick supposed to eat if Mama keeps setting on the nest? Will she stay there until all the eggs hatch? That may take another week. Do I need to try to get any hatched chicks out from under her and start feeding in a warming box? Any suggestions? Thank you!
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