What is going wrong?

[ChickenJW]

Hello! I am new to BYC and joined because I am puzzled by the recent/ongoing hatch of baby chicks from our brooding hen. She started hatching on Sunday, and I noticed because when I went to check the food and water in the coop I saw a baby chick by the door. The brooding hen's nest is against the opposite wall of the coop! The baby chick was still wet and barely breathing. I picked it up, shooed the other hens and rooster out of the coop and put the chick back under the hen. Luckily, the chick made it and seems to be doing well with it's other siblings!

But since discovering the chick, out of about 10 eggs, 3 have hatched and made it and 3 have died. 2 had started hatching, pipped and were half out or more and then just seemed to not make it. Another hatched all the way, and was laying under the hen, wet, but dead. I am a farm kid and have seen lots of baby chicks, but I am boggled by why they are hatching halfway or all the way only to die. Also, how the heck did that baby chick get flung across the coop?

There are 4 eggs remaining and I am concerned for the survival rate. It seems really low that only 50% of the eggs so far have hatched all the way?

It has been warm, in the 90's, and quite normal humid MN weather. I am concerned that perhaps we messed with the hen too much?

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thank you!

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm not sure how messing with the hen would kill the chicks, unless you were doing it while they were hatching... Maybe the heat and humidity? Maybe just weak chicks for some reason.

 

[thechooks22]

She could of stepped on them ??

 

[chickarooo]

The heat might of not been right when the chick only makes it half way it's usually the humidity is not right so the chick gets stuck and the egg dries up. The hen might of stepped on them as well it's a common problem trust me I went through that my pekin hen was sitting on 9 eggs and all of them hatch but only one survived because she stepped on them ALL