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In other words, your strategy is "learn as you go", which is valid and can work. However, the value of coming here for advice is to benefit from others who have learned as they went about having a broody hatch chicks so that you might shorten that learning curve while reducing risks of an unexpected tragedy from occurring.
My very last attempt at having a broody hatch eggs ended in just such a tragedy in spite of all the prep of a dedicated wing. I made the mistake of trusting that a hen pal of the broody would be good with the lone chick that hatched as she had never given me any indication she might hurt the chick.
Some friends stopped by, I showed off the newly hatched chick and left the chick and the broody in the coop but out of the nest box on the floor of the coop, expecting the broody to cover the chick or escort it back to the nest. I planned to come right back to be sure the chick had found its way back underneath the broody, but I got sidetracked with these visitors.
When I returned to the broody coop, the chick was mauled and bloody lying on the floor opposite the nest where the broody had returned without the chick, leaving the chick vulnerable and to get chilled.
What I figured happened was the broody wasn't ready to stop sitting in the nest even though I had removed the unhatched non-viable eggs, leaving none to sit on. The chick wasn't able to find its way back to the nest and became chilled and unconscious. The other hen likely saw it as a food opportunity since the chick was inert. Since the chick was so badly mauled, it wasn't worth trying to revive it with warming. Instead, I had to euthanize what remained of the brand new tiny life.
Ok. I’m going to keep a close eye and be praying everything works out well for mama and baby.Once a broody has installed herself on eggs, it's risky to move her, and close to hatch or after hatch, it's no less risky. You really are on your own here making these calls.
One more piece of advice. Trust your intuition. No matter how long one has been keeping chickens, their ways and behaviors become embedded in our subconscious. There it resides as valuable information ready to tap into at a moments notice. Your intuition is what efficiently retrieves it. It will feel like a contrary voice sometimes, and our inclination is to ignore it. Don't.
Thank you for all your advice and insight! I’m sorry your last experience was what it was.
