Unique Brooding situation

[CloudlessKimmy]

First time Broody mama. I've incubated very successfully a few times but never through a mama.
So Mama#1 sat on eggs for two weeks and stopped. She was a push over and kept having everyone lay eggs in her nest. I tried to keep track and mark them but it go crazy. (18+ eggs) Mama#1 quits and along comes Mama #2 who decides to take over her clutch. It's hatch day and I prepare to move her to a seperate crate and the other hens get a hold of Baby #1. She loses the baby. She manages to hatch another, who is doing great currently. Baby #2 is now 4 days old. Mama #2 is still sitting on quite a few eggs. Some are duds and some are still developing at different stages due to everyone adding. This Mama is technically only at day 14 or so on the nest, so I'm wondering what to do. Do I let her try to finish and hatch what she can? She has one baby to care for. Would the age difference matter for the chicks? Is the hatched chick in danger if mama stays with the nest? Both are secure with seperate food and water. Or do I take all remaining eggs out and just call it a loss and keep the one baby?

Just really stumped. All info online says mom will only stay on the nest a day or two after the first baby hatches but she's still going strong. I'm assuming because she's only at day 14 in her mind?
.

 

[Perris]

There are traditional adages to advise in such a situation:
A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush.
Don't count your chickens till they hatch.

They would suggest you focus on the living/hatched, and remove all remaining eggs so that the broody is not conflicted.

This is what is called a staggered hatch, and your experience with it is why it is recommended people try to avoid it. Don't beat yourself up about it, just learn the lesson for the future. We only really learn though failures; we take successes for granted.

 

[Paz]

you can move the remaining eggs into an incubator, and try to hatch them yourself