The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: mowhaugh on July 29, 2014, 08:31:23 pm

Title: dead chicks
Post by: mowhaugh on July 29, 2014, 08:31:23 pm

I have chicks hatching just now (under a broody), all eggs are pipped, just checked them again and three have managed to hatch but are now dead.  The ones that have not hatched yet are all still alive just now, but there is nothing right out of its egg and still alive.  Is this just really bad luck, or can I do something?

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: doganjo on July 29, 2014, 08:50:42 pm

Does the broody have food and water near her so she doesn't have to get off them.  Did they take a long time to come out from pipping?  I'd maybe help a little with the others if she'll let you.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: mowhaugh on July 29, 2014, 10:26:35 pm

Thanks doganjo, yes she has food and water right in front of her.  I didn't think they were taking a particularly long time.  I haven't been able to go out and check again because my youngest son is being sick  :'( and OH is away combining, but am sitting up waiting for him so I can go out as soon as he gets back, really hope they are OK.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: doganjo on July 29, 2014, 11:26:04 pm

Sorry about your wee boy, hope he's better in the morning.

They are all a worry - kids and animals!

One of Ellie's sort of rejected her one chick and we made her area smaller so she couldn't move away from it once it had hatched.  When we found it she was really cold, but she survived and is laying herself now.

Could your broody have pushed the hatched ones away while still sitting on the remaining eggs?

I can't think of anything else I'm afraid  :(

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: Stereo on July 30, 2014, 12:02:11 pm

We and others have had a lot of this happening this year. I'm not sure if it's the heat or lack of humidity in the air or something. But we've had lots of eggs pipped and then given up or fully developed chicks not pipped at all. We use Brinsea Octagons and one thing we have noticed is that they haven't steamed up during hatching like before. Plenty of water in them and temp is OK so I'm not sure what's happening. I was going to ask Brinsea if they had any ideas.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: mowhaugh on July 30, 2014, 02:00:25 pm

So, I have 2 live chicks looking fine, there was one more dead, and 2 I helped out - they had managed to crack all the shell away by moving, but the membrane was still completely intact and they couldn't get any further, they looked fine, I left her for 2 minutes to get some fresh water and chick crumb, and she seems to have killed them by pecking them.  I also found 2 more eggs I hadn't noticed earlier that she had pushed out, neither had pipped but both had fully formed dead chicks inside.  Feeling sad.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: doganjo on July 30, 2014, 02:59:55 pm

I did wonder if it was her, maybe best take the two live ones away from her?  You'll need a brooder of some sort for a  wee while but they'd be safer in the house than with a wicked mother  :innocent:

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: mowhaugh on July 30, 2014, 08:31:37 pm

So, is it possible that I have a racist hen?  She is totally delighted with her two black chicks, (they aren't all really hers, she just got all the eggs laid in one day by 8 hens), but all the dead ones were pale - is that just a coincidence?

I am not sure if this is good news or not, but when I went to dispose of the dead ones, one of them in fact was not quite dead.  It was disgusting as she had pooed on it, but I have given it a bath in warm water and Dove Sensitive, and it is wrapped up in some old bibs in a dish on to of the Aga warming up, and is now cheeping away.  OH will have a dicky fit when he gets home and sees it, (I plan to be fast asleep by then) and have no idea what I am going to do with it, but I had to give it a chance.

Is there any possibility if it gets strong that she would take it back if I sneaked it in under cover of darkness, or would that just be silly?

Angus is fine today, thanks for asking, I think he had just got too hot, and upset about his AWOL daddy.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: doganjo on July 30, 2014, 10:21:56 pm

Hmm, thought I'd have a quick look on her before bed - what colour is mum and what colour were all the others including the live one?  Never heard of hens being colour prejudiced though.  Hope teh wee one survives through the night.  Perhaps try it in with her tomorrow evening - sneak it in when she's being fed treats?

Glad Angus is better, the heat made my dogs' tums a little upset too.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: HesterF on July 30, 2014, 10:30:56 pm

Weird! I've had broodies freak out at hatch and leave the chicks and some I suspect had attacked the chicks but never selectively attacking. So awful when she's sat tight all that time and by the sound of it done a good job. I didn't think broodies really noticed much detail of what they were hatching - either they take to them or they don't. Hope you find a way of sorting out your unadopted little one. If she is good with the two dark ones, it might be worth a try and would probably placate your husband!

H

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: mowhaugh on July 30, 2014, 11:12:03 pm

Mum is black and so are the two chicks she likes.  Quite happy to accept it is just a coincidence, though.

My friend Hilary has just been to collect the chick, which has perked up amazingly on the Aga and almost fried itself by getting out of the dish.  She has a very kind hen with only one chick which is not her own but another reject she was just given this morning, and is going to sneak mine in with it now, fingers crossed.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: waddy on July 30, 2014, 11:36:28 pm

Posted by: Stereo« on: Today at 12:02:11 pm »[/b][/size][/size][/color]

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We and others have had a lot of this happening this year. I'm not sure if it's the heat or lack of humidity in the air or something. But we've had lots of eggs pipped and then given up or fully developed chicks not pipped at all. We use Brinsea Octagons and one thing we have noticed is that they haven't steamed up during hatching like before. Plenty of water in them and temp is OK so I'm not sure what's happening. I was going to ask Brinsea if they had any ideas.


Just had a disasterous hatch myself also with a Brinsea Octagon. Three out of ten fertile eggs and one of those had to be broken out and is still touch and go. All the others were fine and moving just before the due date. Two more pipped but then died and the others didn't manage to get through the membrane which did seem tough. I am gutted. All the parameters seemed fine. Weight loss was spot on. I also noticed the incy hadn't steamed up. The only difference to previous hatches was the warm dry conditions. I would be interested to know if you get an answer Stereo. I am going to look at still air next year or better still hope for a broody. Sorry to hear you have had problems with yours Mowhaugh. Hope the remaining chicks are allright.


 :(



Helen

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: HesterF on July 30, 2014, 11:40:28 pm

I've had no problems with chicks in the Brinsea this year but ducks and geese were problematic - to the point where I'm not currently planning to hatch ducks next year (partly because virtually everything that managed to hatch was drakes and the only people who want to buy just want ducks which is just not working out financially although we'll live off ducks and cockerels through the winter!).

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: lord flynn on July 31, 2014, 08:58:17 am

weird-I've had two poor hatches with the Brinsea this year. Blamed it mostly on Royal Mail but my own eggs werent approaching the usual 98% rate and yet were all fertile and making it to 18 days or so. Put it down to lack of humidity-last couple of years there's been too much!

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: in the hills on July 31, 2014, 11:44:06 am

Same problem here this year ..... we put it down to hot/dry conditions.

Quail that were alive but couldn't get out of the shell. Membrane tough and dry and cemented to the chicks. OH and daughter picked them all out. A couple were so exhausted that we didn't think they would make it but all chicks now doing very well. They were in the Brinsea inccie. Even sprayed and put moist dish cloth in there. Usually does the trick but not this year.

Chicken eggs under a broody outside and same problem. Chicks were stuck, almost glued to a tough, dry membrane. Broody seemed to be concerned and was pecking at them. We left them as long as we felt we could but then picked out. All strong little growers now!

I think a hen sometimes pecks at them if she can tell something is amiss .... maybe trying to 'help' as much as anything sinister.

My pekins sit on all types of egg and not noticed any preference concerning colour .... but then I think they would 'mother' just about anything.  ::) ;D

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: mowhaugh on July 31, 2014, 01:06:30 pm

This is all interesting, I got a Brinsea Octagon for christmas, but haven't used it (or any incubator) yet - I was just going to when this hen went broody.  Sounds like this is not the year to start.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: madchickenlady on July 31, 2014, 03:05:45 pm

I had new broody but I found her trying to force the chicks back under her killing two in the process. I had to remove the remaining eggs and hatch and rear them myself. I haven't used her since. It is sad but some hens just don't quite manage to get it right whilst others seem to do everything right!

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: mowhaugh on August 01, 2014, 05:51:39 pm

My chick is very happy with its new mum, so that's good news.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: ladyK on August 01, 2014, 10:33:23 pm

Isn't it great when it all works out   :sunshine:

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: sabrina on August 02, 2014, 08:21:15 am

We hatched 12 in the incubator and they did very well but a hen went broody on 6 eggs and although all had chicks in the eggs none lived. My poor hen was very upset and kept going back to her nest but by this time eggs were rotten.

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: Clarebelle on August 02, 2014, 08:39:47 am

Perhaps there is more to be said for cooler summer's than people expect  ;) this year I had a broody hatch 10 of 12 eggs and also had 90% hatch rate in my brinsea with the chickens. The ducks weren't as successful at 3/6

Title: Re: dead chicks
Post by: madchickenlady on August 02, 2014, 09:46:39 pm

I was lucky with my incubator ducks, I put in eighteen eggs, two didn't develop but the other sixteen all hatched. Only problem now is dealing with the drakes, all seven of them!!