Thanks, I will start getting those things together soon.Worming should be done before the breeding season as most wormers will render them sterile for a period of time. Get everyone on amprollium medicated chick starter (it wont hurt the adults to eat this for awhile and mom will be used to it when the chicks hatch) and get a medicine chest together. Corid or sulmet, safeguard cattle or goat drench, Tylan, and Fish zole for starters. You should also get some baby bird formula and syringes and tubes incase you do have to do a little tube feeding. I have seen mother hens step on and land on chicks, all were fine, and I've never seen one smothered by their mom, I think you have another issue and given the age I'd bet cocci. Symptoms of cocci and blackhead can be virtually identical, I tend to think cocci first because I've lost chicks to it in the past, but have never had blackhead here, casportpony above tends to think blackhead first because she has had past experience with that nasty little bugger, but I think if you cover both bases as well as worming them you will have a much better survival rate. I wish you much luck I know how it feels to lose them.