Don't count your chickens

Ten allegedly fertile eggs were purchased. Nine were successfully transfered under the broody hen, Michelle, one was broken in the process. Two live chicks hatched and seem to be doing well. One dead chick was found partly out of it's shell and six turned out to be duds. I opened each one and apart from a really bad smell of rotten eggs there was no sign of any thing resembling a chicken.

Michelle is becoming very protective, even aggressive in her defense of her hatch-lings. When I tried to put more food in her coop today she puffed herself up and jumped out of the door attempting to peck me several times. She spends all day training the youngsters in the ways of hens apparently if you are a hen you should first scratch the ground vigorously with your claws then peck at the scratched ground.