Dying chicks

[Macf]

Has anyone ever had problems with chicks from a broody hen dying off?
My half silkie, Tufty, had 5 chicks in spring. After about a week, they started dying, and I found one dead every morning until they all died.
After about a month, poor Tufty got broody again and 7 chicks hatched out. One morning, after a week, I found 6 little bodies, all dead, with no marks of violence or anything on them. I gave the only survivor to another mother. It's very sad, as Tufty's obviously searching for her chicks.
What's going wrong? Usually, with broody hens, the problem is getting the chicks to hatch out, but with Tufty, they all die.
Who can help? I've about a dozen birds, youngsters included, and they all free range, spend the night, sit and hatch out in a two level wooden coop.

 

[DuckLover1029]

You might want to try putting them in a brooder. The problem might be them getting to cold or hot, but I'm no expert.

 

[welasharon]

I would suspect cocci. Even outside raise biddies can get it.It is the most common cause of death among chicks.

 

[Macf]

Thanks for the idea. I don t have a brooder, but I got some rabbit hutches and am trying two lots of chicks and mums in there. So far so good, but they re barely a week old yet.

 

[Macf]

As for cocci, how do you stop it? As I said, I m trying rabbit hutches, and they re easier to clean than my chicken coop, where I had to get down on hands and knees in the straw...

 

[welasharon]

You don't want to raise them on wire though. It's too rough on their feet.

 

[Macf]

It s old fashioned rabbit hutches made of cement that the farmers round here use for their broody hens (I live in France). I keep wondering if it could have been mites on the hen coop? If they,bite the hens during the night, they must surely bite the chicks too? In any case, I ve cleaned out and put insect killer in there a few times now, also that special earth you use.
I love to see chicks hatch from a hen.