am gutted 2 dead chicks

[karminski]

2 of the 6 eggs hatched during the night and both chicks were dead this morning one yellow and one black both where totally formed i'm so gutted an sad , mum had moved the remaining 4 away from the dead chicks and shes still sitting on them but i wont be able to check her now until 10 am and then again at 2,30pm i hope the other 4 survive , could it be just natural causes or did mum kill them maybe she thought she would not of been able to cope with 6 chicks i dont know cant believe how numb i feel now i just got to crossed everything that the others make it .

 

[karminski]

have lost another chick it had hatched and was fully formed like the other 3 now i am so worried about the remaining 3 that i dont know what to do , my friend told me the shells might be to hard for the chicks to get out of properly so to soak them in warm water for 5 - 10 mins an then to put a weeny hole in the shell to help the chicks get out but i dont know if to do that or not or to just let narture take its cousre i really dont know what i have done wrong could it be that they were of the ground in the rabbit hutch and they got to cold ?am annoyed and angry with myself .
my friend said he will stick me some of his eggs into the inccy tonight when he does some for another friend but i am wandering if its better to stick to rescuing ex batts instead .but last year even though only 2 out of the 4 eggs hatched i didnt have a probelm .

 

[podstable]

I am sorry. If it were me , I think the best thing to do is leave the remaining 3 eggs under her and not even look or listen for 2 more days --save seeing she has food and water . Broodies need to be left alone while hatching or they may reject chicks,panic and squash them etc. She will bring them out for food etc in a couple of days. Ros

 

[karminski]

the first 2 she had very early this morning and i only knew when i checked her at 6 am but now i will just leave her to it , my friend has just called to see how things are going and hes going to let me have his inccy when hes finished with it so i can hatch from home gives me time to find somewhere safe away from the dogs to place it as well and to make a mini broody pen if nothing comes of the last 3 eggs .

thanks ros

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear about your chicks. I don't think it is anything you have done wrong as surely the mum would keep them warm.Personally I would not intervene. I just hope that the others hatch ok.

 

[Chuck]

Sorry you're having problems. Be careful who you listen to. Soaking eggs in warm water is not a solution !

 

[karminski]

thats why i didnt do it , have been down to let them out this morning and i was scared to open the hutch door incase there was any more dead ones but nothing yet shes still sitting on the other 3 eggs so i am praying that i mite get at least 1 or 3 chicks today although yesterday was the 21st day i have everything crossed .i can get hold of a inccy and heat lamp over the next few weeks but the only most secure place i have to put them is in the greenhouse as mum will be finsihed with it then but i dont know if a shaded greenhouse would be suitable to bring chicks up in ? then i could get some more eggs and hatch them .

 

[Chuck]

I know of several greenhouses that have been used successfully to rear chicks after tackling the obvious problem of the heat in summer and cold in winter. With shade and ventilation it can be done.

Did you mean to put the incubator in the greenhouse ? I definately wouldn't do that - too much temp. fluctuation.

 

[karminski]

i was thinking that but now i dont need to my freind has got 15 eggs in his inccy at his farm and will let me have day olds when they hatch and the only place i can really put them is the greenhouse its got plenty f shade as next doors conker tree has well overgrown this year and covers most of it but it still stays warm enough for the chicks i just need to get a heat lamp .