chicks die in egg

[BlackBart]

Does anybody know why chicks die in the egg at about day 15-18 ?
My Broody hen who is a experienced super Mom, kicked some eggs out of her nest the other day. I marked them and put them back under her and she kicked them out again.
I opened them up and two had un-developed chicks inside, they were dead. They had feathers and nails on their toes. The other egg was green inside.
Does anybody know why they would die? I have never had this happen before. They are not eggs from my chickens.

 

[gardenknitter]

I don't know, but I am sure someone around here can tell you. What I wanted to say is that it truly fascinates me that the hen can tell which eggs are bad! How do they do that?!?!

 

[BlackBart]

I guess nobody knows? I'll ask on ACE.
I suppose the hen knows more about eggs than we do. Maybe she can hear life or no life inside the egg?

 

[NurseNettie]

Relax-- your first post was only 4 minutes ago

Lots of folks know, they just haven't read your post yet

There's no way to know why a chick dies during incubation-- usually genetic abnormalities, "birth defects" or any of the dozens of reasons that other animal babies die in utero, etc. I agree that the hens can probably sense when life has ceased, and sometimes remove the eggs to keep them from contaminating the others.

Sorry you are losing some of your little ones. Most hatches aren't 100 percent- and when they are, it's purely a miracle

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[BlackBart]

I know it seemed like four minutes to you but it seened like days for me.

I thought if I could do something right away so they wouldn't die the sooner the better but I think you are right, the egg source has problems.
Out of 3 dozen eggs only 5 hatched and 10 or so were dead in the shell. So sad.

 

[RedfogsFlock]

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They have super chicken xray powers! Really that's the only thing to explain it!

 

[pgpoultry]

It has happened to me a number of times. The broody hen usually knows which will hatch. I also have had fully formed chicks die in the shell, both my own and shipped, under broodies and in the incubator.
I agree that they probably have genetic problems or just don't seem to have enough energy to break the membrane particularly if it is a tough one. Multiple factors may well come into play,
Sandie

 

[BlackBart]

The last remaining egg started to pip the other day. I left it alone. Checked it later in the day and not much progress had been made so I removed a piece of the cracked shell and put it back under the RIR hen. Checked the next morning and the chick was dead, still in the shell.
I guess the poor little fellow didn't have enough strength to break out on his own.
No more eggs from that source, it is too upsetting to see these little dead bodies.

 

[NurseNettie]

It's hard when they don't make it. But, if they can't hatch, the likelihood of survival is small. Where'd you get your eggs?

If you aren't particular about breed, get some locally laid eggs where there' s a rooster present. Your hatch results will be spectacular! My first year hatching, I wanted all sorts of "special" chickens. But wasn't happy with my shipped eggs, and found that some of the breeds I was interested in just weren't cold-hardy. So, 2 years into it now, I hatch out my own barnyard mixes, and get excellent results, and very strong and healthy animals. There are still some that don't hatch, but far less than before.

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[BlackBart]

These were specialty type chicken eggs. They were from a local breeder but I think he sells the inferior hatching eggs to people so he still retains the market. Just a weird feeling about it, you know the feeling when things just don't add up. Especially when he doesn't have any trouble with his hatching eggs from the same birds.

My own hen's fertile eggs hatch without any problems. This is the first time I have had any hatching problems and I feel sorry for the hen she is a good mother but it is out of her control (and mine).

Maybe after she has a rest and if she goes Broody again I will throw some Welsumer eggs under her.
They hatch like popcorn around here