Silkie moms letting babies die-why?

[tndrees]

Hi, I have 5 broody silkie hens whose eggs are just beginning to hatch. Problem is 4 babies have died from 4 different moms. One was a day old, and I found it dead the next morning outside the nest box. The boxes are about a foot off the ground. I thought the chick fell out and couldn't get back in, so I put a ramp up to them. Another mom had a chick for 3 days and then I found it behind the ramp, dead. I noticed the hen didn't seem very motherly. When I put chick food in the nest, she ate it without offering it to the chick. Then last night, I watched another hen help her chick hatch, but after it hatched she didn't put it under her to keep it warm. She was more concerned with keeping her other eggs warm. I put it under her, but the next day it was dead, in the same spot it was when I left. Another one hatched, and the next day it was dead, in between the clutch. Three of these hens rotate nest, which I didn't know broody hens did. The baby that was 3 days old, was actually hatched under a different mom.
Any one know what is going on with these hens? I know sometimes a hen might not be a good mom, but 4 bad moms!

 

[Msbear]

Broodies are unpredictable and it's ashame that these things happen but, they do. I would say the swapping of nests and babies may be confusing them. Typically, chicks hatch at the same time (within 24 hours) and then all these chicks leave the nest at the same time on the hunt for food. If there are still unhatched eggs, the hen may want to stay and cover them while hungry chicks stray and chill.

Multiple broodies may be fighting over chicks. I think silkies are pretty good about this but, I have heard of hens killing other hens' chicks. But, if you're finding the chicks without injury.. just chilled, then the problem is warmth. I would take chicks as they hatch and stick them under one hen and take her eggs and put them under another. Use them like incubators and hatchers. That way, the chicks are the same age and are ready for food at the same time. I would check the coops more too. If you're home, listen. A distressed chick will call loudly for help.

Good luck with any future hatches... I let mine brood but, don't count on those babies... especially, early in the Spring. Summer hatches are easier as the weather isn't so brutal

-Erin

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm sorry about your chicks. No, not all silkies are good moms. The first time i let silkies brood, i had two moms sitting on eggs. When the hatching started, they both tried to kill the chick. i had to quickly take the chick and rest of the eggs away. i think it's probably best to separate a broody into a hutch or cage with a level floor, with food and water available. Make sure all the eggs are set at the same time so they all hatch together. Otherwise, a broody may stay on eggs and let a chick die of starvation.

i have three eggs under a broody right now, due to hatch tomorrow. i don't hold out much hope for them. Had to move them from another pen as someone was pecking holes in the eggs. i tried to move this hen into a hutch, but she freaked and wouldn't sit on the eggs. So i'm ramping up an incubator today to jump in when the hatching starts. i try to assume that everything will go wrong and be prepared for the worst.

 

[tndrees]

Thanks for the advice. The problem I had before when I tried to move them from the nest boxes, to a different location, they wouldn't lay on the new place. I never thought about putting them in a cage. That would help the problem of the other hens laying their eggs in the nest. If I use one hen for a incubator, should I put babies under her at night? Also, I thought about taking all the eggs out and putting them in an incubator. Could I then put them back in with the hens, after they hatch? I guess I should have waited until it was warmer weather. At the end of summer, I had 2 hens have a successful hatch, with no trouble. The silkies have been broody all winter, so I got impatient!

 

[Msbear]

You'll have to leave at least one egg for them to sit on (store bought, whatever) After all babies have hatched, remove egg and swap in babies at night time so you'll know she won't leave right away. Get up early the next morning if you want and peek in to see how they're doing.

I have a friend down the road with silkies and no roo. She lets them sit on whatever for weeks at a time til I have day olds. She stopped by yesterday tp pick up 4 day olds! She gave them to the silkie right in front of her... she stared at them for a minute or two then fed them. That's how you know they're accepted... when mommy calls them for food.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

Though Silkies LOVE to group brood, its best not to let them if you want any live chicks. The group of hens will trade eggs, crush eggs, fail to care for chicks that have hatched because they still have unhatched eggs, etc. A single Silkie hen setting eggs, in a private, enclosed nest box makes an excellent mother. Food & water is within the pen so she doesn't have to starve or leave the eggs for long. When the eggs hatch, you can move her and the chicks to a larger, SEPARATE area.

Whenever I can, I use my broody Silkie hens to hatch eggs; I've even take eggs OUT of the incubator and put them under a hen when she goes broody, because she can do a better job than I can.

Also remember--the private nest box needs to be on a flat surface--chicks aren't very good at climbing OR going up ramps--especially Silkies.

 

[m2wandc]

I'd like to follow this thread...my silkie just hatched her first egg...she baks at the baby chick (on day 3 now) but she doesn't get up from her other eggs (that I'm guessing won't hatch) to help her little chick...she will talk to it and tell it get under, etc...but if the chick doesn't she doesn't dare get up...we have her and the baby in a brooder in the house, so the temp isn't low and the chick would be ok out from under her when the heat lamp is on...

...but your thread has me worried...I'm guessing if our silkie didn't have eggs to sit on, she might be more attentive to her little chick???

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

When a broody hen is setting eggs, as soon as the first chicks hatches--start the clock. If nothing else hatches within 24 hours, REMOVE any remaining eggs so the hen will get up and care for the hatched chick. If you leave the remaining eggs after 24 hours, you're risking the life of the hatched chick.

Another alternative is, take the hatched chick away after 24 hours (and care for it yourself) and let the hen try hatching out the rest of the eggs. OR you can take away the remaining eggs, candle them, and put them in an incubator.

 

[tndrees]

I can put these boxes on the ground, but if the chicks can't climb, I'm not sure if that would help. There is a ledge I put on them so the bedding (or babies) wouldn't fall out. When I had the successful hatch, they were all underneath the boxes. Now it looks like I have a new broody hen under neath the boxes! I went in there this morning, planning on taking all the eggs out because I didn't think they would hatch. To my surprise, 2 babies in one box and 1 in another. I put all the babies together under one mom, and took all her eggs out, as suggested. So far she seems to be ok with them. I put chick food in with them, and she called them to eat even though she ate most of it! I checked on them tonight, and heard peeping coming from a different box. I'll try to put the new baby with the others tomorrow, unless more hatch tonight. I don't have room to separate all five hens, but I will the mom and babies.

 

[silkienewbiegurl]

You might consider keeping the nest boxes at ground level and laying hay or other bedding around the lip so there is nothing that prevents a chick from reaching the hen. I don't think a newly hatched chick could figure out how to go up a ramp because they aren't quite coordinated enough. It took mine 2 weeks to figure how to climb a 4 inch height and 3 weeks to climb a ramp. If the chicks are in the raised box, you might have a problem of chicks plopping out of them in a few days. They get pretty active pretty quickly and if they can't reach a hen, might chill and die. Just a consideration

. I'd hate for you to lose any more chicks.

I had a similar issue. I have two broody silkie hens that share a nest area and I placed hatching eggs under both of them. I found they kept switching nests or stealing eggs to put it under themselves! My intent was to separate the two broodies at hatch time but when I tried, they became very frantic trying to get back to the chicks and unhatched eggs. The stealing kept happening and I was afraid the chicks would get injured but it looked like they were being protective and didn't mean harm ... and after just a day, they both started sharing the duties and had at least one chick at any given time. If I was more experienced, I probably would have separated them early on (believe me, I was biting my nails to nubs!). I just have the 2 silkies and they are best buddies so I took a huge chance that it would work out and thankfully it did. They are excellent mommas.

I hope it works out for you whatever you decide to do. Good luck!