I am so sad

Remember I told you one chick hatched. Well, the other eggs never hatched and the one that did, we went to check on this morning and it was dead. It looked like it had a broken neck. Is this something that happens with first time mommas? Joe thinks the next time we should remove the chicks and hand raise them, but I really wanted to let it happen the way God intended and let the momma hen tend to the babies. Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated. I do know that next time we get a broody hen we'll be checking immediately to see how many eggs she's setting. What's a good number? I don't want to place so many under her that she breaks them, but don't want her to go through all that time setting for one or two chicks either. Thanks everyone.

I never go over 12 eggs per hen. I also let them do it. Some times there is something wrong with the chicks and they do not make it others every one of them will. Do you have a good rooster. That makes a big diffrence too. I put eggs from other hens that have been with the rooster under my hen. If you seperated her she will mot have fertile eggs if the rooster can not get to her.

We have 2 roosters to 12 hens. We didn't separate her until she went broody.