Will we need to provide supplemental heat for hen and chicks?

[Chicalina]

in the early days she will spend a lot of time just sitting on them keeping them warm. Could she have stood on them really badly? Perhaps they were a natural cull.

 

[KCNC06]

I have no idea what's going wrong with them. All four were trying to run around yesterday. Seemed to be behaving like normal chicks. They jumped out of the nest on their own (maybe a 2 inch drop) and ran around peeping about food. Then the mom got out of the nest, clucked at them for a bit and plopped herself down on top of them. Every time I checked on them she was laying on them. They hatched Monday/Tuesday night so they're a couple days old now and seem to want to run around some.
Now one of the three remaining chicks just looks...poorly. It doesn't want to run around at all. We thought maybe if we took this one away and put it somewhere where we could keep it warm maybe she would get up to go eat with the others. But she's just trying to get them to go back under her. They're peeping and running around and she's in that "get under me you darn babies" position clucking at them.
I'm guessing her other two eggs are dead but since I'm not sure when she started sitting on this nest I don't know how many days it's been. But the last one hatched Tuesday morning so it's been a full two days. I don't want to give up on them too early but also don't want to smell exploded eggs in the incubator in my livingroom.

 

[shineandrise]

I would leave the eggs in the incubator for a few more days, or maybe try candling them, I would leave the two healthy chicks with their mom if it were me. Without help from their mom, they can easily go downhill quickly. Chicks will often die if the hatching didn't go quite right, every time we have hatched (only several times) at least one chick has died that had already hatched... but this could totally be us. So sad Never go easy if your porch isn't enclosed, preditors can always be sneaky! I take it you have a rooster. Is he with them? That chick is soooooooo cute, I hope he makes it!

 

[KCNC06]

I would leave the eggs in the incubator for a few more days, or maybe try candling them, I would leave the two healthy chicks with their mom if it were me. Without help from their mom, they can easily go downhill quickly. Chicks will often die if the hatching didn't go quite right, every time we have hatched (only several times) at least one chick has died that had already hatched... but this could totally be us. So sad Never go easy if your porch isn't enclosed, preditors can always be sneaky! I take it you have a rooster. Is he with them? That chick is soooooooo cute, I hope he makes it!

This is only the third time we've ever let a chicken hatch eggs. First two times went fine but they were also normal size chickens. Maybe bantams are trickier? This little one doesn't look good. It's sleeping, doesn't make any effort to get up, not making any noise.
I tried candling the other two small eggs. They're so full that I'm not sure I'd see movement if they're alive. I had originally checked the eggs she was sitting on back on September 17th and didn't see anything in any of the eggs. Couldn't see the veining or embryo dot, just yolk. So I was very surprised that the first ones hatched on Monday. The eggs looked empty 18 days earlier. I hatched a LOT of duck eggs last year so I know the embryo is hard to spot early on, but it seems something would have been visible if they were 10 days in the first time I candled. The last two big eggs look like they have at least 2 weeks left to go.
I probably wouldn't be as bothered by all this if this hen wasn't my brother's favorite. She seemed so determined to hatch eggs too.

 

[Chicalina]

is she not taking the chicks to feed and drink?

maybe she can't transition yet from sitting to chick rearing. She may need a boost. Is she still on any eggs at all? If yes then get them all out and in the incubator. Can't recall if you did this with all or just some.

Can you encourage the chicks to eat and drink. And put some vitamins and electrolytes in their water.

 

[KCNC06]

We took all the unhatched eggs out and put them in the incubator yesterday morning. The mom isn't taking the babies for food or water. The babies will eat when I peck at it with my finger and they drink water when I splash my finger in the dish. Then the mom clicks at them and lifts up her wings like she's yelling at them to get back under her. Then she just sits on them on the porch floor. The mom will eat if I hold the food dish up to her but only if the babies are under her.
I've been trying to get this poorly baby to drink some water and nutri drench from a syringe. Just dripping it on the edge of his beak so he doesn't choke or drown. He doesn't seem interested in that even.
It's frustrating since they all looked so good on Tuesday. I've never even had a chick from TSC die on me...in 11 years!

 

[shineandrise]

Poor chick! I have heard bantam eggs are harder, and they hatch a little sooner typically than usual. Try dipping the chicks' beaks in the water, adding vitamins, and tapping where their food is. (mama often does this for their chicks.)

 

[KCNC06]

Hopefully those last 2 small eggs are still alive and incubating a little longer gives them time to get stronger. I don't know. The chick she hatched from a big egg is FULL of energy. It was chasing one of my ducks around this morning.
I'm still hoping this little one will turn around. Little stinker.

 

[shineandrise]

Yes, the one chasing around sounds so cute and funny. Hoping the others will come to be like that.

 

[Chicalina]

can you try coaxing the mama hen with some tasty treats to get off her butt, move about and start raising these chicks. If you put down some mealworms, a peanut butter sandwich soaked in milk, or porridge with banana in it (out of reach so she has to get up and go to it and chicks will follow). The high calorie food will give them all an energy boost too. It might encourage her to tidbit them. Then maybe tomorrow she will be out of the nesting habit and more in the chick habit.

Just an idea I would try.