my chicks are dying, what am I doing wrong?

[MonaMoore]

Hi,
I am a first timer here. I have 3 hens and a rooster. A month ago, the hen started to collect eggs and she went broody sitting on 17 eggs. Unfortunately, 21 days has gone by with no sign of hatching. She then abandoned a total of 9 eggs, some of which did explode.
On day 32, I decided to break her broodiness. So I tried to left her off the eggs and surprise, there was a chick hatching. Also, I noticed that there are 19 eggs underneath her. That is a total of 28 eggs!! Looks like the other hens were laying eggs near her and she would collect them and lay over!
So that chic that hatched died unfortunately, looks like it was cold and mama hen did not care for it.
The next morning, two more chicks hatched, I collected them and placed them in a cardbox lined with towels and hanged a 100 watt lamp over. I provided them water and some Cuscus for food. They were so weak though. One was struggling to stand up and the other was so weak to try. At night, I switched off the lamp and turned on the heat. Unfortunately, the next morning, I found one already dead and the other one dying.
The next morning I found another dead chick in front of my hen’s nest. Looks like my hen is not a good mother. I guess she is abandoning her chicks because she is more concerned with hatching the eggs underneath her
I am beyond sad. So far I buried 4 chicks and I am afraid I will lose more.
What am I doing wrong? Should I have left the heat lamp on even at night? Should I feed the newly hatched chick? I tried to drip some water on their peeks so that they would drink. They would drink the first drop then stop. How to make them eat?
Any advice is very highly appreciated.

 

[gander007]

Alright you need to get some save -a-chick from any hatchery here on BYC it is less then $ 5 dollars and there is enough for 100 chicks in one bag also you could add Probiotic to the water and some chick starter is great feed for new chicks and get something to measure the temp in your brooder and there need's to be enough room for the chicks to get away from the heat .....

Check out the learning center for raising chicks

Inside my brooder

Feed and water in safe containers

A heat source at a safe distance and room to move

gander007

 

[MonaMoore]

Thank you gander007, I do appreciate the very useful information.
I actually have an update
So my hen, yet again, abandoned another chick during hatching
So I took that egg in my warm brooder and assisted the poor little thing hatching. It was dry and very weak. It also had an umbilical cord remnant attached to its belly button. That thing started bleeding later on the day and I pressed it with corn starch and it stopped bleeding. The first day went by ok. I provided extra humidity in the brooder and gave my chic some sugared water to make up for bleeding. It was doing ok, just very weak and sleepy. The next days it regained strength and it started eating, drinking and walking.
This little chick is the sole survivor (Viver) of a total of 28 eggs. Mama hen left her nest 3 days later and I trashed the reminder 14 eggs.
Today Viver is exactly a week old. Afraid of leaving Viver lonely, I bought him 5 friend chicks. They were supposed to be his age, but they looked waaaay bigger! He was afraid at first but now he is cuddling with them and all looks ok. Thank God.
I still pray for Viver, he is my baby, but I am very happy he is no longer an orphan


Viver is the black tiny chick <3

 

[StarMeKritten]

If the temperature is too low during incubation (which could sure happen with a hen on that many eggs!), you will end up with chicks that hatch late and usually have problems. I had a few late hatchers this week too. They were all smaller and weaker than my other chicks. A couple are doing ok now and went in with the other chicks. A couple didn't make it very long. Next time your hen goes broody, I would limit the number of eggs she sits on. Mark them all in pencil and check at night for any eggs she may have added and remove them. The staggered hatch times and weak chicks may have caused her to reject the chicks to keep trying for more that were healthy and had better chances of survival.

 

[gander007]

Thank you gander007, I do appreciate the very useful information.
I actually have an update
So my hen, yet again, abandoned another chick during hatching
So I took that egg in my warm brooder and assisted the poor little thing hatching. It was dry and very weak. It also had an umbilical cord remnant attached to its belly button. That thing started bleeding later on the day and I pressed it with corn starch and it stopped bleeding. The first day went by ok. I provided extra humidity in the brooder and gave my chic some sugared water to make up for bleeding. It was doing ok, just very weak and sleepy. The next days it regained strength and it started eating, drinking and walking.
This little chick is the sole survivor (Viver) of a total of 28 eggs. Mama hen left her nest 3 days later and I trashed the reminder 14 eggs.
Today Viver is exactly a week old. Afraid of leaving Viver lonely, I bought him 5 friend chicks. They were supposed to be his age, but they looked waaaay bigger! He was afraid at first but now he is cuddling with them and all looks ok. Thank God.
I still pray for Viver, he is my baby, but I am very happy he is no longer an orphan


Viver is the black tiny chick <3

Alright Mona Moore, it sounds like you are doing everything correctly in the care of Viver but the chicks you got are about a week older or Viver is really small anyway the brooder you have is looking good I wish you well in all your poultry ventures

 

[MonaMoore]

Yes StartMeKritten. Thank you. I am going to mark the eggs next time my hen goes broody. Being a first timer, I just didn’t want to disturb my hen by checking the number of eggs underneath her.
Thanks again gander700. Well Viver is 7 days old today; the other chicks are 9 to 10 days old according to the hatchery guy.
Viver is tiny, I know; he is the cutest and most active chick though

I also had 5 goslings hatch 4 days ago, one didn’t make it overnight. But the other 4 are doing very well. Mama geese and papa gander are very good parents, very protective. They will not allow anyone close to the little ones. I got bitten yesterday by the mother while trying to refill food

 

[gander007]

Yes StartMeKritten. Thank you. I am going to mark the eggs next time my hen goes broody. Being a first timer, I just didn’t want to disturb my hen by checking the number of eggs underneath her.
Thanks again gander700. Well Viver is 7 days old today; the other chicks are 9 to 10 days old according to the hatchery guy.
Viver is tiny, I know; he is the cutest and most active chick though

I also had 5 goslings hatch 4 days ago, one didn’t make it overnight. But the other 4 are doing very well. Mama geese and papa gander are very good parents, very protective. They will not allow anyone close to the little ones. I got bitten yesterday by the mother while trying to refill food

These are some of my flock at feeding time ........

I have been taking the egg's from my geese and putting in the incubator
this year and it has not deterred the geese from protecting the front yard
where they like to build their nest ...........

 

[MonaMoore]

Aww, how cute they look. What breed is this?
I started with just a couple of what I think is Greylag goose. Thy goose laid 7 eggs yielding 4 goslings.
I also have a big flock of ducks. 3 drakes and 10 ducks. I don’t let the ducks go broody because I love their eggs!
Good luck caring for your birds gander700

 

[gander007]

My geese are African



1 pair of Molted Houdan chickens



14 Russian Orloff chickens



16 Easter Egger's chickens



3 Genie hens



1 pair Peking ducks



2 new ducklings I think they are a Mallard mix





Mona Moore I think I got them all but not totally sure ...........












gander007

 

[MonaMoore]

Oh wow gander700. That’s a great collection you have there. I bet it’s a lot of work too
Thanks for sharing the pictures.