help With hatching baby chicks

[Chickenluv22]

i have 14 chickens (one of which is a rooster) and I’ve been letting one of my buff orps sit on about 15 eggs (I didn’t want to take any out in case they were fertile) and today I noticed baby chicks under her! 4 so far and I’m very excited!!!
I have a couple of questions about how to care for them tho other than the mom taking care of them. Should I keep the older chickens away from them somehow to avoid them from hurting the chicks or just let the momma take care of them???
Also some of the eggs haven’t hatched yet but are obviously fertile (very dark inside and I see vein like things) I think they are going to hatch soon also. Any tips!! I’m so excited but also very nervous because I have some fairly agreesive hens that I’m afraid may mess with the babies. Thank you!!!

 

[Perris]

congratulations!
let her manage the hatching and protecting; put some chick feed and a shallow bowl of water with chippings or marbles in (so the chicks don't drown) nearby. In a few days she may abandon the last eggs if there are any still unhatched and you can then revisit the idea of helping them, but until then I would trust her to know what she is doing - know better than us at any rate and your chicks will be integrated from the get-go

 

[Mvan42]

I just had my first broody hen myself. She sat up to day 23 on the eggs. Abandoned the one stopped early. 2 were very cold brought those in warmed them up and both hatched. Mama took them back after they were dried and hatched.
So she will take care of them. I have my hen separated from the others but while free ranging they can see them. It's all on what you want to do and risk.

 

[Chickenluv22]

Thanks yall! There’s 4 chicks so far and I think they all hatched yesterday so about 24 hours ago. I saw an egg with a little bit of crack like a chick is coming out but nothing has come out yet and that was a few hours ago. When should I leave water and chick crumble feed out for the babies?

And will the mom take them out of the nesting box soon to show them the food and stuff?

 

[Mvan42]

Mom will take them when she feels they all are ready. Yep I would make food and water available. Also of they dont have access to dirt/sand have chick grit available.

 

[Chickenluv22]

The chicks are all good, I’m pretty sure at day 3 or 4 since they’ve hatched. There are some eggs left in the spot where my buff orp hatched her eggs and I candles them and it looks like there is chickens in them but my broody hen isn’t sitting on them anymore she’s out walking With the baby chicks. Could these eggs still hatch or be alive even though she’s off of them during the day and she sleeps on them with her babies at night. I cracked one egg open and it smelled kind of like it was cooked and it had orange stuff in it? Was this egg a chick? Id feel horrible if it was!