The only reason these eggs even got to hatch is that they are so small, they didn't seem to be worth collecting to eat. I've seen pidgeon bigger than these biddy hens......which down the road will also save the chicks from becoming dinner.
The hens were given to me by a neighbor to serve esssentially as bait to test my newly fortified coop. It seems at least for now I have foiled the predators, so will buy some decent laying hens.....my last ones all got eaten, hence the need for the test.<g>