Hello, all

I am new to the group and to looking after chickens, too.

 I'm here because my son started raising brahmas and went to India for 2 months so now I am in charge of the birds, yet have very little idea of what I'm doing and have encountered some problems already.

First of all, our first chick:

about 10 days ago he started to emerge from the egg. Unfortunately, there were quite a few bees there trying to eat him as he was hatching. My husband did a great big no-no, I lnow, and 'helped' him out of the egg; he claimed otherwise the little guy was a goner for sure.  We put him in a box and warm him with a lamp.  the first four days he seemed to have no use of his left leg, or as if it hadn't unfolded properly; he'd awkwardly limp and fall.  We didn't know if this was a result of the bee stings or coming out of the egg too soon but took the wait and see qpproach and now he walks well.  However, he hardly eats on his own, and is used to being hand fed only.  he also doesn't seem to take water on his own but must take it from my fingers, too.  He seems to get constipated easily (maybe because he doesn't drink water) so I also need to wipe off his tiny bottom with warm water and cotton wool a few times a day to clear the field. 

We tried to put him near his mother and brothers when he was a few days old but he only pecked at everything that moved and his mother rejected him with great aggression, so we understood he must stay in the house for now.

I feel bad that he has no contact with other chickens and thus very little idea of how to behave like a bird.

Do you think we have 'ruined' him with our interventions?  How might I introduce him into a society of chickens?  Meanwhile, how can I get him to eat and drink more on his own? 

Secondly:

the hen that has been setting on eggs:

we have one hen who sits on all the eggs.  We have provided several boxes full of hay or sawdust but everyone lays eggs in the same box and only she sets on them.

She's had 3 hatchlings that lived so far (the little guy I wrote about, above, and 2 more who are with her).

Also here I fear we have interfered too much with nature and don't know how to rectify the situation.....

the original box was quite high and when the chicks got big enough to walk around and scratch for food we moved everyone to a lower box.

In the following days the setting hen killed 3 otherwise healthy and fully formed chicks as they were hatching.

We tried setting up a greater number of boxes and moved all her eggs yet again.  Now she seems to be refusing to set at all...

Is  this our own fault or a normal reaction becasue she is busy with the chicks?  Will it pass on its own if I leave her be or should I be doing something else?

tia -- I anxiously await anyone's replies as I feel things are becoming a bit of a mess!

Amy