Hen returned with 2 chicks

[KiwiClucker]

Hi my little hen arrived with two baby chicks this morning. She’s been coming and going last few weeks and I don’t know where her nest is. I found two dead chicks about the place. Should I keep her and the chicks locked up now? I’m worried she may have other eggs/chicks or chicks hatching.
Would she only leave the nest if she’s done sitting/hatching?
Do I just take the risk and let her back out or leave her locked up and count my losses on dead chicks

 

[6BeachChicks]

Lock her up. If she left then there is probably no more eggs. have a look around though, but after she is locked up.

 

[6BeachChicks]

I think that she should be kept safe, especially because mama hens protect their chicks.

 

[My Bagurks]

Lock her up and keep her and the little ones safe. She could have gotten lucky up to this point. You don’t want tonight to be the night something find her and the chicks.

 

[KiwiClucker]

Thank you everyone yes I have locked her in with her two babies. They are doing ok, tiny wee chicks cause she’s little too, only 6mths old so I was surprised she’s gone broody so young. I’ll post a pic when I get home

 

[Ponypoor]

Thank you everyone yes I have locked her in with her two babies. They are doing ok, tiny wee chicks cause she’s little too, only 6mths old so I was surprised she’s gone broody so young. I’ll post a pic when I get home

Must be a silkie mine r born hormonal haha

 

[KiwiClucker]

*update*
So omg! When I got home all is well with mum and two chicks so I went looking for the nest again and I found it! Sadly there were two more dead chicks there and two eggs had pipped holes and there were nine other eggs. They were cold as. So I gathered up all the eggs to go dispose of them and thought I’d just check a few first. I opened one of the pipped ones a bit more and the chick moved a bit! Holy crap it was alive so put in down my top and rushed in to fill up a hottie to warm it up and also put the other pipped one with it. Left them there while I set up a heat lamp in a brooder. About an hour later the first one was out with a little assistance and the other one was alive too and trying to get out. I couldn’t believe it. Then I decided to have a look in one of the un pipped eggs and this wee one was still alive too! So! I set up my little incubator and popped some of the other eggs in there. It’s still not out of the shell cause I think it might not be quite ready but it’s still alive. This morning the first two seem pretty happy and mostly dried and pecking at a little food, I’ll put them in with mum and the others soon. Anyone else rescued cold eggs and they hatched?

 

[KiwiClucker]

Must be a silkie mine r born hormonal haha

Haha no she’s a Barnevelder/shaver cross!

 

[Ponypoor]

*update*
So omg! When I got home all is well with mum and two chicks so I went looking for the nest again and I found it! Sadly there were two more dead chicks there and two eggs had pipped holes and there were nine other eggs. They were cold as. So I gathered up all the eggs to go dispose of them and thought I’d just check a few first. I opened one of the pipped ones a bit more and the chick moved a bit! Holy crap it was alive so put in down my top and rushed in to fill up a hottie to warm it up and also put the other pipped one with it. Left them there while I set up a heat lamp in a brooder. About an hour later the first one was out with a little assistance and the other one was alive too and trying to get out. I couldn’t believe it. Then I decided to have a look in one of the un pipped eggs and this wee one was still alive too! So! I set up my little incubator and popped some of the other eggs in there. It’s still not out of the shell cause I think it might not be quite ready but it’s still alive. This morning the first two seem pretty happy and mostly dried and pecking at a little food, I’ll put them in with mum and the others soon. Anyone else rescued cold eggs and they hatched?

Awesome! Read somewhere cool eggs warmed and hatched! Good luck!

 

[Itz_Kitkat]

I know this is a pretty old thread but did anymore of the eggs hatch that you put into the incubator?