Dead chicks outside and in broody nest.

[NewBeeChickGurl]

A lot of my hens seem to be going broody lately.... I've always thought it's best to let the broody hens hatch out some chicks and go through the natural phase.

I have 3 broody hens together in a separate area and have 2 have hatched out 1 chick each. However I've been finding chicks out of the shell dead....I have no clue what is/was happening.

Before the first chick from the first hen hatched out, I found a dead chick in the ground next to the nest.....and then when I went to check the nest, I found a dead chick mama hen was sitting on....

Now the 3rd hens has a new chick born yesterday and all 3 chicks and 3 hens seems to be doing ok.

There are 4 or 5 eggs left...I plan to remove those eggs and just let the 3 hens raise those 3 chicks together. Does anyone this this is a problem?

Has anyone have a similar experience?

Thank you for any help.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

is this their first year going broody?

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

is this their first year going broody?

These 3 broody hens....yes. I've had a broody hen hatch out 3 eggs Sept 2021 and she is currently sitting on some other eggs in my main coop.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm so sorry! Finding dead babies is truly awful...

I have no idea what's happening with the babies. Inexperienced moms? Broodies going after each other's babies?

I have 2 hens raising 3 chicks in a co-parenting situation. But these two hens are super bonded to each other and brooded in the same nest. I don't know that I'd allow any other of my hens brood together.

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

I'm so sorry! Finding dead babies is truly awful...

I have no idea what's happening with the babies. Inexperienced moms? Broodies going after each other's babies?

I have 2 hens raising 3 chicks in a co-parenting situation. But these two hens are super bonded to each other and brooded in the same nest. I don't know that I'd allow any other of my hens brood together.

When there was only 1 chick, they all shared a nest box together..... so I thought they wouldn't be too bad with each other.

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

When there was only 1 chick, they all shared a nest box together..... so I thought they wouldn't be too bad with each other.

I currently have 3 hens together with their 3 chicks. And only 1 big nestbox.....I figure if they sleep in there the chicks wouldn't get confused and go under wrong mama and start a fight?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I currently have 3 hens together with their 3 chicks. And only 1 big nestbox.....I figure if they sleep in there the chicks wouldn't get confused and go under wrong mama and start a fight?

I don't know, honestly. But if they are doing fine now, maybe whatever catastrophe left those other chicks dead has passed.

Are the other eggs still viable?

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

I don't know, honestly. But if they are doing fine now, maybe whatever catastrophe left those other chicks dead has passed.

Are the other eggs still viable?

I candled then tossed the 4 eggs left. Weird since yesterday there was 6 eggs and i swore i saw a dead baby this moring around 5am, but it was gone by the time i went to get it around 8am or so. One of the remaining 4 eggs smelled pretty bad. There was more dead baby chicks besides the first 2 I mentioned. Seemed to just be dead baby after dead babies before/during/after these 3 healthy (i hope) looking ones. A total of 7 maybe that I found both in and out of the nesting. I've never experienced something so sad and I'm so confused on why!! I put some potting soil and DE and sand mix in the corner for them to bathe in and all 3 hens and chicks looks ok today so far....but I'm still confused why all the dead babies? Bad mamas? Idk.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I candled then tossed the 4 eggs left. Weird since yesterday there was 6 eggs and i swore i saw a dead baby this moring around 5am, but it was gone by the time i went to get it around 8am or so. One of the remaining 4 eggs smelled pretty bad. There was more dead baby chicks besides the first 2 I mentioned. Seemed to just be dead baby after dead babies before/during/after these 3 healthy (i hope) looking ones. A total of 7 maybe that I found both in and out of the nesting. I've never experienced something so sad and I'm so confused on why!! I put some potting soil and DE and sand mix in the corner for them to bathe in and all 3 hens and chicks looks ok today so far....but I'm still confused why all the dead babies? Bad mamas? Idk.

That is a lot of death. I wish I had insights about what's going on, but I don't. Could be a lot of things: bad mamas, failure to thrive, chicks didn't stay under mamas and died of exposure... So sad....

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

That is a lot of death. I wish I had insights about what's going on, but I don't. Could be a lot of things: bad mamas, failure to thrive, chicks didn't stay under mamas and died of exposure... So sad....

This is a lot of death!! I expect maybe a death or 2, but this was so much. Maybe it was a combination of different things? Idk. My friend said to check for mites but I keep looking and if it was mites or a bug problem, I'm thinking it would have to be bad enough for me to be able to see it. Idk. I'm at a loss. Thanks for your reply.