Dead 4-week-old chicks in the nest

[giantshark18]

We had two chicks that were being raised by 3 broody hens sharing a nest. One of the broody hens stopped sitting on the nest last week and everything has been fine. The chicks even seem to follow around whichever hen is not sitting on the nest. Well, today I found the two chicks dead in the nest with eggs that are about 12 days away from hatching. I see no signs of injuries so my assumption is they were perhaps killed by one of the broody hens. Up to this point, the broody hens have not been fighting with each other or pecking at the chicks. I don't see any sign of crushing, but not sure what I am looking for in that regard.

The heads of the chicks looked fine, so I don't think it was a serial killer snake.

Any ideas on the cause and what I should look for as I expect new hatchlings in about 9 days and don't want them to meet the same fate. We have a nice nesting box in the coop that most of the hens use (we have 5 hens total), but the first broody hen decided to nest on the ground in the corner of the coop for some reason and then two others went broody and shared the same space.

 

[Saveria]

Were the chicks looking healthy and active right up until they died?

 

[giantshark18]

The chicks were free-ranging fine yesterday and none of the hens seem to be showing any issues today.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I always try to let a mother hen with chicks be separated from the general flock population until they are 8 to 10 weeks old. Many other folks indoctrinate theirs from the start. In my experiences, all it takes is one bird in the flock to flip their switch and kill the young birds.

 

[Yardmom]

If Im understanding correctly that the chicks who died were 4 weeks old? But they were found dead in a broody nest that was about half way along?
Were the chicks still regularly sitting in that nest? That broody may have decided she no longer wanted competition for her chicks that are going to hatch. I'm not sure if it is relevant, but the chicks who died are at the age that many hens ween their brood.

 

[giantshark18]

I will give you the complicated timeline. We have had 5 laying hens since March 2. One hen went broody on June 15. She along with another hen never used the nesting boxes but instead laid in the corner of the coop. We knew these were not fertile eggs she was sitting on, so we contacted a neighbor that has dozens of chickens. She set 12 fertile eggs under the hen on 6/21 and also gave us a rooster. By June 28, two more hens went broody and tried to sit on the same nest in the corner of the coop. When it came time for hatching, only two chicks hatched on 7/12. We checked the other eggs and they had not developed. Since the three hens stayed broody even after the two chicks hatched, we set a new dozen fertile eggs on 7/21. Since then, one of the hens stopped sitting on the nest and joined the rooster and two hens on their free-ranging excursions. The two hens left on the nest seemed to be getting along and the chicks seemed to follow either one of the hens when they left the coop for water and food. They were out and about free-ranging yesterday.

Sorry for the long post, but hoping it might provide more info.

 

[Saveria]

If Im understanding correctly that the chicks who died were 4 weeks old? But they were found dead in a broody nest that was about half way along?
Were the chicks still regularly sitting in that nest? That broody may have decided she no longer wanted competition for her chicks that are going to hatch. I'm not sure if it is relevant, but the chicks who died are at the age that many hens ween their brood.

I just thought of that, too.

 

[giantshark18]

After entering the order of events above, I realized the chicks were 3-weeks old. Not sure if that matters.

 

[giantshark18]

An update to the situation, one of the two hens that were mothering the chicks is no longer going towards the nest and in fact is acting depressed today. I am not sure if she is sick, or if she perhaps is grieving. If the latter, my thought is the hen currently sitting on the eggs killed the chicks.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The one hen's behaviors is almost certainly because she is grieving the loss of the chicks, and I agree with you that the hen currently sitting on eggs most likely killed the chicks.