chicks dead in pen.

[campheadgirl]

I have a broody ameraucana hen that was sitting. I always use an incubator. Had some eggs that were to hatch in a couple days so why not? Put one under her and it hatched. She was a great mom put wouldn't come off the nest. Sooo I put 9 lavender ameraucana eggs under her that were due to hatch in a week. Before work yesterday evening nothing. Went to check this morning. I have 6 bodies scattered all over the pen. Mom and first baby are walking around the pen fine! She is very protective off it. The others died a horrible death I'm assuming. So sad. I was horrified so I scooped up the bodies and buried them. Then there goes mom setting on the eggs that didn't hatch. I dont' understand what happened. Anyone else ever experienced anything like this. Help. Tried to let mom do it naturally and this was my result. Next time ceramic eggs hands down!!!

 

[Pyxis]

Sorry for your loss I wouldn't blame the hen - once a hen has chicks (or in this case one chick) she's done with eggs and she might not accept new chicks at all. I've had a broody kill another broody's chicks when they got too close to her and her babies. Not all broodies do it, but those that do are seeing it as protecting their babies and getting rid of interlopers. Your hen is likely to be a good mom to any other chicks she hatches - as long as they hatch at the same time and not a week apart.

 

[campheadgirl]

The only reason I put more under her is because she was still setting and stealing eggs from other chickens. In fact when I left home today she was still on the nest. Will she ever quit? Hoping since the one chick is more active that she will come off the nest. Thanks for your reply. I won't try that again!!

 

[Pyxis]

And she's also getting up and caring for the chick, taking it to food and water, etc? That's strange, usually they'll give up on eggs entirely after a few days of having a chick. As long as she's getting up to feed the chick I don't think it will do any harm, but you might want to split her away from where she has access to eggs for a little while so she gets the idea and stops taking them.

 

[campheadgirl]

Their are actually two one black and one blue) that are setting together on the same clutch of eggs. They started separately. I had an egg under each hen but the other (blue hen) did not hatch her chick. She then joined the hen on the ground (black hen) a day or so after her egg hatched. The both care for it and usually both are on the nest but the do take turns sometimes and go off with the chick. Guess the chick has two mamas!

 

[Pyxis]

Cute! I had two broodies share chicks lat year, and this year it looks like two of my ayam cemanis will do the same

 

[campheadgirl]

Cute! I had two broodies share chicks lat year, and this year it looks like two of my ayam cemanis will do the same