Only one Chick!

NIGEL:
We have a broody hen sitting on 6 eggs for about 21 days now. Just before one was ready to hatch, the egg was broken open either by the broody or our rogue hen. The next day a fully hatched chick was found dead under her?? We can't work out why she died? Then the day after we finally had a little chick. I moved her to the brooder are of the  coop. She was quite scared/unsure, but has now become a regular active, but lonely, chick.

A day or so later the broody was off doing her business for a brief moment & I noticed that another egg was about to hatch. I waited until late last night but nothing. This morning I went down & the chick was crushed inside the egg. It makes me think that the broody is either accidently or deliberately hurting the chicks as they hatch?? Bizarre!

So we have purchased an incubator! I put the last 2 eggs in the incubator & have added eggs laid today. We will see what happens. We have to keep the incubator at 99.5'F & have water in there to maintain humidity. The eggs need to be rotated 3 times a day!

Will provide more updates soon.