Both of our 2 day old chicks are dead, seemed flattened and poop their bottoms.

[buddy18]

My hen had 2 chicks, fine this morning. Went in to the barn and she was wiping her beak on the hay and both babies were dead. They seemed flattened with poop on their bottoms. I was surprised that she hadn't got off the nest with them. This is heartbreaking. I have no idea if this was her first chicks. I don't know anything about them since they made their home in our barn one day. We have had all the hens except one that went broody, so not knowing what to do, we gave them 2 eggs to hatch and everything has been fine. Anyone know what happened to them?

 

[MaisyBird]

Hmm I'm not sure about the flattened part, but I know that some chicks have problems with their poop sticking to their butts and it has to be cleared or they will die. When I raise chicks, I check them frequently and if they have dried poop stuck, I take a warm wet paper towel and gently wipe it free while holding the chick. This sometimes can take up to ten minutes because its so dry. Anyways, I hope this helped and I'm sorry about your chicks.

 

[buddy18]

Do you think maybe that she didn't get off them and they might have suffocated and would explain them loosing their stools? I wouldn't have been able to touch them, she wouldn't allow it. It's sad because they were fine this morning.

 

[MaisyBird]

Maybe.. I haven't had experience with hatching chicks under a broody hen. I get the chicks already hatched so I'm not an expert on that topic, but that does sound like something that might have happened.