Should dead chicks be removed

[tasneemghoor]

Hi. My mom has a hen which laid 15 eggs about 3 weeks ago (we think). 2 eggs hatched yesterday and they are healthy looking chicks. Another 2 chicks were found dead this morning in the nest. There are still 11 eggs remaining and the hen is still sitting on the nest periodically (I'm in the southern hemisphere so it's actually very cold here at the moment).

Should my mom remove the dead chicks? And how do we know if the remaining eggs are still viable.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Yes, always remove dead chicks but doublecheck them to be sure they are indeed dead.

I'd give those remaining eggs at least two more days since the first ones hatched. Then you can try candle them with a flashlight in a dark room and see if you see any movement or hear any peeping.

Does your mom have an incubator and/or brooder? The mother hen might have killed them. If they were her first batch, sometimes new hens don't know what they're doing that well.