1 of my babies died =( I dont think I like doing it the "natural" way.

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

My momma's still sitting on a couple and some hatched (i thought 5) and we checked on them at 12 am, they were all quiet/sleeping and this am when i woke up one was in front of her a little cold and dead.

they are in our outside coop but we have a brooder light in there (its not on a spot and as warm as it need to be so were going to buy another or move it to get to a warmer temp) and momma but i dont know if (there's a little lip on the box) it wondered off a tad and couldnt get back up but now i feel HORRIBLE. I know its my fault.

and STILL she hasn't gotten up (1st cheepage I heard was not last night but the night before and saw some hatched and dried yesterday am so i guess she's just trying to give the other eggs a change? idk)...now im just worried about my others, and i can only see TWO...i am so worried about not seeing any others!

 

[dianaross77]

It most certainly is not your fault. Sometimes baby animals just aren't strong enough. Everyone who raises domestic animals will experience losses. It's no different than cats or dogs. Any animal that has "litters" of babies will almost certainly lose one, two, sometimes more. It just happens. We once rescued a German Shepherd mix who had given birth to 13 puppies. One was stillborn, and we had to have the runt put down. He just couldn't thrive. People who hatch chicks or raise day-olds frequently lose at least one chick. Try not to feel so bad. Just do your best, keep an eye on them, and make sure mama is doing her job.

ETA:

 

[ranchhand]

Don't feel horrible, take it as a learning experience. It's hard raising chickens. I found that it's better, for me at least, to remove any lip to the nest a few days before hatching is due. I just give the hen a pile of straw, that way the chicks can venture out for food and water, then snuggle under the hen again.

Sorry for your loss. Don't beat yourself up though.

 

[calicokat]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear you lost a little peeper.

And I know what you mean about feeling like it's your fault, though really it's not.

We got two Silver Spangled Hamburg chicks last year (maybe 10 days old?) and three ee's (a week old) at the same time for our broody. She had been sitting on golf balls

Swapped out the golf balls for chicks over two nights, and all was good for about a week. Then one of the SSH's was just dead in the corner of the brooder box one morning. Don't know if momma smushed it accidently while sleeping, or what, but we were heartbroken. Then about 2 weeks later the other one was dead in a corner of the coop one afternoon, no signs of trauma whatsoever - & it had been fine that AM when I let them all out (by then they were hanging with the main flock during the day, and put with momma in a large dog crate inside the coop at night)

All three EE's were fine and still with us. Murphy's law of course, they were just "afterthought" birds or chicken math additions

, it was the SSH's that we had wanted to raise.

That was August, and I still feel like it's my fault

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

Thanks everyone...and so sorry for your losses as well

...I tried to prepare myself but i guess it just hit me b/c that baby was fully fluffed and looked actually healthy on the outside.

We tried to eliminate ALL lip this am and i watched a couple go out and then go back to her so...live and learn i guess and get BETTER! Won't let that happen again!!! If she didnt just reject it.

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

Quote:
Hope you get your SSH's soon then...poor little one's...

 

[Grim]

sorry you lost one. but like it was stated before, animals that have a lot of little ones usually lose 1 or 2. from what i've found from raising many broods is. out of 8 eggs i'll lose 1 egg and 1 chick. this is just a general rule and my chickens have many more dangers than most people's, but the ratio seems about right for natural loses. the chick probably had something wrong with it, it happens. less possible is an inexperienced mother will sometimes smother one by accident. doesn't happen very often.

the best "brooders" i have found is a milk create on it's side. put the nesting material in it and allow for some "spill" out the front. mamma knows what to do she'll let the little fellow back under her if he can get back. the spill gives him something to climb though i've yet to see a peeper that couldn't step up into a milk create. a few minutes out from under mamma won't hurt them. even when conditions are cooler than suggested, if the little ones get cold in the yard they will run under her and she'll sit on them.

just sitting in the box is normal. i've had the first egg hatch on late day 19 and not have the last hatch till mid day 21. the hen will usually sit the nest for at least 12 hours after the first hatching and sometimes up to 72 hours. rough estimates. after that any remaining eggs are trash. something is wrong with them.