chick died...why?

[JodyJo]

My first broody hen....chick was breaking through around 2:00 today, by 5:30, I checked again, she was sitting on it and the other eggs, but the chick was half out and dead....did she suffocate it? Was something else wrong...? I have another one due to hatch out tomorrow morning...do I need to do something to prevent this again? She has 3 other eggs under her, we are at day 21 now. I don't want to lose all of them. I have another hen sitting on 7, due to hatch in about 10 days....is there something I am doing wrong?

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

I doubt you're doing anything wrong. Sometimes they just don't make it - they have some genetic thing, or have to struggle to hard to get out and their hearts give out - there are a million reasons. A flattened chick / hatching egg is a sign of a hen problem, and sometimes big breeds end up being "egg crushers." My Jersey Giant hen, Cookie, was a terrible crusher, crushing them close to the hatch date. Poor thing had no idea what she was doing, she just wanted to be a mommy! So unless you see flattened eggs or chicks, the problem was probably something internal to that chick, and nothing you could have prevented.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Is she a first time broody? Maybe her inexperience has something to do with it?

My Marans are first time broodies, sharing a nest....I'm worried about the little ones too....I've read that sometimes they just aren't strong enough....I'm sorry for your loss, hopefully the next ones are healthier.