Chicks under hen keep dying

[AishlingS]

Hi,
Small bit confused so maybe someone can help
I’ve a lovely little hen, she hatched early this year. 9 eggs, 9 chicks. She Raised them all outdoors. 1 chick died and others were fine.

She decided to go hatching again. She went broody in September. Again, 9 eggs and hatched out all 9 eggs. 1st one died a few days old. 3 died about 1 week old. Few more after that.
They are nearly 3 weeks old and another 1 died and I’ve 2 left. They are in a polytunnel in their box (to keep dry and no draft). It’s about 10degrees outside. The chicks are always under the mam. When I feed them they go to eat with the mam.

They don’t seem to be growing or thriving. I’m not sure what to do.

Is it just because it’s October and it’s too late for chicks?? Anything to help them grow??

 

[Perris]

Is there any chance the hen is ill? If she has an infectious disease that can be passed on in fomites (feathers, dander etc.), any chicks she's brooding are getting a massive dose under her.

 

[AishlingS]

Is there any chance the hen is ill? If she has an infectious disease that can be passed on in fomites (feathers, dander etc.), any chicks she's brooding are getting a massive dose under her.

No she seems absolutely fine, hasn’t changed physically or behavioural. They chicks still look like day olds. But always eating and drinking so don’t know why they aren’t growing

 

[Perris]

OK. So let's turn attention to the chicks.
Were they home bred or did you buy in hatching eggs?
If home bred, were the parent stock related, and if so how closely? what were you feeding the birds whose eggs you set and the roo who sired them?
And what are you feeding the chicks?

 

[AishlingS]

OK. So let's turn attention to the chicks.
Were they home bred or did you buy in hatching eggs?
If home bred, were the parent stock related, and if so how closely? what were you feeding the birds whose eggs you set and the roo who sired them?
And what are you feeding the chicks?

Had 4 speckled Sussex and 5 silkie. 5 silkies we got off a friend and he has really good quality stock. The speckled Sussex are our own. They were a tad bigger due to not being bantam like the silkies. 2 of the them are left. I had 2 Sussex and a Silkie upto a few days ago. parents are on layers pellets and chicks are on chick crumb. The feed is the very same as every hatch we have had. i know our stock are not related and wouldn’t be very confident to say my friends stock are not related either.

 

[Penpal]

Is the temperature 10 deg C or 50 deg F?

You can add your location in your avatar.

 

[Perris]

Plenty of people hatch at this time of year without issue, so I don't think the fact that it's October matters. I'm assuming you mean +10 celsius for the temperature; a broody should have no trouble keeping them warm, especially in a polytunnel. And you said the broody successfully raised a brood earlier this year, so she knows what she's doing. Have you had other hatches too?

If your home bred birds aren't related, genetic depression shouldn't be an issue. I am not a fan of layers pellets even for commercial layers, and they are not designed for long term health, or for breeding stock (who really need a more complete feed), or for heritage breeds like Sussex and Silkies (see file linked here https://livestockconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Heritage_Chicken_Feed_Guidelines.pdf ).

So I suspect that your hen is ill, even if she isn't showing any symptoms, and that the chicks that have died have succumbed to it - that's just a guess based on elimination of obvious alternatives - but any chicks that survive will be immune, either naturally or by acquisition, which is a real positive thing. There is a thread on a similar situation by Azygous, who unknowingly had a hen with lymphoid leukosis brood a clutch and pass it on to them, which you should be able to find and read if you want to.

How are the remaining chicks doing? Don't worry if they aren't growing as fast as you'd like; they will catch up if they get over whatever is currently challenging them.

 

[ltcffl03]

Should you pull the remaining chicks and put them in a brooder?