Dead Mama Hen

[tsfranklin]

My daughter and I have been letting one of our hens (a partridge cochin) sit on a bunch of eggs. They started hatching yesterday, so we've been keeping an eye on her off and on as this is her first go-round... Well, it was..... This afternoon, when I went out to check on the progress of the hatching, mama had left the nest and was on her back dead inside the coop.... It's only been three weeks since she went broody and I've seen her get food and water. Any ideas what could have happened to her? The rest of the flock has been totally fine, so I don't think it's a disease. Maybe just exhaustion? It was her first time being broody and she was only 1 year old.

The mama was protected from all the other chickens in her own coop and nothing got in. The only thing I noticed was that when I had checked on her a few hours ago, she didn't get up and act all "broody mama". She just glared at me. Before, she'd hem and haw a bit whenever I opened the lid to the coop.

The weather has been absolutely fine - a bit rainy and cool, but she's in a very protected area and totally dry and warm.

Also, several of the chicks that hatched have died (of the 7 hatched, all but 3 have died at some point over the last few days). I chalked it up to a new mama not being able to regulate the eggs or temperature well enough, but now I'm not sure.

We've brought the 3 chicks that are still alive (and the eggs, though I know that's probably a lost cause now) into the house and put them under a light with food and water. Hopefully they'll be okay, but I'm not sure yet.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do you have roost mites? A professor of poultry science said roost mites kill broody hens more than anything else.

 

[LaFleche]

Check the nest site carefully for blood sucking poultry mites, as they love broodies (warm and humid under them) and can easily suck the life out of them and their hatchlings overnight.

What happened to the hatching chicks, could you bring them in and safe them?

 

[tsfranklin]

Do you have roost mites? A professor of poultry science said roost mites kill broody hens more than anything else.

That's a great question! I didn't think so, but I did notice small bugs in the nest. That could be it.

 

[tsfranklin]

Check the nest site carefully for blood sucking poultry mites, as they love broodies (warm and humid under them) and can easily suck the life out of them and their hatchlings overnight.

What happened to the hatching chicks, could you bring them in and safe them?

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that was what it was. I saw mites on the eggs, but didn't think about it (I just thought it was bugs...). I lost most of the eggs (10 or so) as she was off the nest for too long, but I was able to bring the 3 chicks into a new space with a lamp heater and they're doing okay so far. One is a little questionable, but I've been carefully giving it honey water and it seems to be better. They're chirping up a storm for the most part!

 

[LaFleche]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that was what it was. I saw mites on the eggs, but didn't think about it (I just thought it was bugs...). I lost most of the eggs (10 or so) as she was off the nest for too long, but I was able to bring the 3 chicks into a new space with a lamp heater and they're doing okay so far. One is a little questionable, but I've been carefully giving it honey water and it seems to be better. They're chirping up a storm for the most part!

If they won't stop chirping, something is amiss: either they are too hot or too cold, and maybe even hungry.
Some mashed boiled egg with fine oatmeal might help to calm them, and a thermometer to control the temperature in their make shift brooder would be helpful.

Did you check and clean them carefully, so no mites will have been transferred into the new space?

 

[tsfranklin]

I checked them carefully, but I can't be totally sure. The mites are so dang small. The chicks have stopped chirping now and seem to be doing better. They're sleeping and moving around well enough. Good idea on the boiled egg and oatmeal, I'll add that, too. They're eating the chick starter I left in there, too.

I'm headed into the feed store to get some DE and will sprinkle that in the coops to help with the mites. I'll get a thermometer, too - great idea.

 

[LaFleche]

I checked them carefully, but I can't be totally sure. The mites are so dang small. The chicks have stopped chirping now and seem to be doing better. They're sleeping and moving around well enough. Good idea on the boiled egg and oatmeal, I'll add that, too. They're eating the chick starter I left in there, too.

I'm headed into the feed store to get some DE and will sprinkle that in the coops to help with the mites. I'll get a thermometer, too - great idea.

In case you use straw as a bedding: get it all out and burn it, as the mites love to hide in the hollow stalks and you might even bring them into your coop by using straw.

I recommend softwood shavings.


Good luck!

 

[tsfranklin]

Thanks! I do use straw in the coops, so I'll get it all out and swap for a while. I have shavings for the chicks, though.