Question about Hen, her chick and eggs!

[Big Mama K]

I have a hen that is sitting on her eggs and another hen's who quit sitting. Well then hen who quit sitting eggs were due this week, I got two chicks out of that deal. Unfortunately one of the chickens is going to have to be put down.

But the question is do i take away the chick so she will continue sitting on her eggs for roughly a week. She is torn between her adopted chick and her unhatched eggs! I know that the chick can survive with out her but the eggs will not and they are so close to hatching! I have an incubator but have never had good luck with it!! But this morning she got off her nest and showed the chick how to eat and drink! I put the chick back into the nesting box to she if she would follow it back in there. She did and settled back down on her eggs! But you can tell she is upset! She wants to sit on her eggs, sometimes getting irritated at the chick but if it hops out she leaves her eggs for it! I hate to take her baby away but no with out her sitting on the eggs they will not make it! They reasonable think to do it remove the chick and see if she continues to sit on her eggs and finish hatching them. But I am worried if I take her chick away she will be upset and not finish sitting. So then I would giver her baby back but I a scared she will reject it after I remove it!

So, do I what and see what happens, take care of the chick for a week(approximately) and let her finish her batch of eggs or try again to incubate the eggs the rest of the way and let her keep the chick!

I don't think she will be able to tend to the chick and her eggs...chick or eggs??? That is the question!

Sorry about my rambling, I am just worried about making the wrong decision because this is my second time hatching eggs and the first didn't end happy.

 

[bigdawg]

she wont be happy doing both. i would take the chick away, at night and see if she keeps setting. oh, plug in the bator as a back up plan. when she is done hatching she will take the chick back. just slip it back under her in the dark. she will never know.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

i would pull the chick away from her until all of her eggs r hatch. the click can live without mom.
laura

 

[Big Mama K]

So far Moe is taking care of her chick and sitting. If it looks like she is going be out of the nest to much I am going to take the baby! My girls will be happy to have a chick in the house!! Plus I am not real confindent in the incubator I got given to me with the chickens so I hate to use it this close to hatching time! I am just hoping after I take the chick she keep sitting on her eggs!! I know I need to do it at night but the only problem with that is the chick is normally hid somewhere under it's Momma! Gonna have to go "fishin"!