losing one breed of chicks after hatch

[blewis]

I hatched buff orpingtons and barred rocks together. All the buffs have survived but I am losing the barred rocks. Any suggestions.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If they're living in the same conditions, it's most likely an issue with the breeders which your management can't fix.

Try some probiotics and vitamins. Mix the starter feed with some plain yogurt and a drop of poly-vi-sol without iron in the beak of each chick.
There is a vitamin/electrolyte powder for water. Be careful with the dosage though.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ve had that, not with breed but with pullet eggs. You can hatch pullet eggs and often get decent hatch rates, though those tend to be a little lower with pullet eggs. I’ve hatched and raised chicks from pullet eggs, so I know it can be done. I hardly ever lose a chick, but when I do, it is practically always one that hatched from a small pullet egg. I think they are just smaller and weaker than the chicks from regular sized eggs so they are more likely to not thrive.

It could be something to do with the health, nutrition, or even genetics of the parents. It’s really hard to say but I really doubt it is breed related.

 

[blewis]

Thanks for the info. Still a little dumbfounded. The buffs and barred rock hens are the same age, so I don't think pullets would be the problem. Haven't lost any today, maybe we are past the problem.