Anyone have any idea why I am having so few chicks hatch under my broody hens?
My hens average clutch to brood it 8 eggs. They are Japanese Bantams. I have had 4 broody hens, each with 6 eggs, but so few chicks hatch out.
Each clutch only had 1 chicks hatch, and one hens eggs did not hatch at all.
They are all very healthy and sit tight on the eggs, day and night, only leaving to eat and drink a couple of times a day. They are all over a year old and have hatched chicks out before.
The weather is normal - not too hot of cold
I opened up some eggs and there are fully formed chicks in them (dead), but they just don't hatch out!
I know that this breed has a 25 percent dead in the shell because of a lethal genes when 2 short legged birds are mated together, but some on my hens and rooster are long legged. I also have 3 roosters, so fertility can not be the problem
Is there a disease that kills the chicks in the egg, but the adults seem healthy?
My hens average clutch to brood it 8 eggs. They are Japanese Bantams. I have had 4 broody hens, each with 6 eggs, but so few chicks hatch out.
Each clutch only had 1 chicks hatch, and one hens eggs did not hatch at all.
They are all very healthy and sit tight on the eggs, day and night, only leaving to eat and drink a couple of times a day. They are all over a year old and have hatched chicks out before.
The weather is normal - not too hot of cold
I opened up some eggs and there are fully formed chicks in them (dead), but they just don't hatch out!
I know that this breed has a 25 percent dead in the shell because of a lethal genes when 2 short legged birds are mated together, but some on my hens and rooster are long legged. I also have 3 roosters, so fertility can not be the problem
Is there a disease that kills the chicks in the egg, but the adults seem healthy?
