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SeramaSilly

PLEASE HELP- another chick has died! :-(

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I lost one of my serama chicks last Sunday when I think it was trampled by one of the broody mums.  I took the hen out that I think did it and left them with the calm hen and everything seemed to be fine - they are now 2 weeks old as of yesterday.   Today I got home from work and they were all fine and then I checked on them again and a dead chick was hanging off the broody!!  I don't know how it happened but I actually had to go and get help because I couldn't separate them - somehow the feathers had got twisted round the chick and it must have broke her poor little neck! :-(  Anyway I have now taken that hen out too and I went and got an 100 watt reptile lamp from Pets at Home - that was all they  had.  Is this going to be ok or do you think I need to go and buy an electric hen tomorrow?  Who knew this would be sooooo stressful! :-( They are calling for their mum but I'm too frightened this will happen again.

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I'd leave them with the Mum for sure.  The Mum and the babies will be stressed and it wouldn't be right. It could just be bad luck this happened.  It sounds really unusual and I'm sure it's a rare thing to happen.  Trust the Mum and try again.  I'm sure it will be fine.  I normally separate my mum and chicks from everything else and keep them together by themselves for the first few weeks until the wee ones are big enough to go out with the others.  Normally just a week or so longer than you've had them out. And I just watch them outdoors for a day or two to ensure the other hens don't attack. Normally the Mum won't let them tho!

They've been so used to the Mum too and a heat lamp just might not be the same as they are used to as regards humidity etc.  I'd forget the lamps and put them back together. Good luck!

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24 minutes ago, PersonalTAgent said:

I'd leave them with the Mum for sure.  The Mum and the babies will be stressed and it wouldn't be right. It could just be bad luck this happened.  It sounds really unusual and I'm sure it's a rare thing to happen.  Trust the Mum and try again.  I'm sure it will be fine.  I normally separate my mum and chicks from everything else and keep them together by themselves for the first few weeks until the wee ones are big enough to go out with the others.  Normally just a week or so longer than you've had them out. And I just watch them outdoors for a day or two to ensure the other hens don't attack. Normally the Mum won't let them tho!

They've been so used to the Mum too and a heat lamp just might not be the same as they are used to as regards humidity etc.  I'd forget the lamps and put them back together. Good luck!

Thank you so much for your reply.  I'm just so scared to put them back together as this is the second chick that has died.  I had two broodies hatch four eggs together and I noticed that one hen was rather frantic - kicking aubiose about and calling to the chicks and actually managing to kick them and send them flying.  I'm not convinced she didn't trample the one I found on Sunday and then tonight finding this little one too has made me think they aren't safe with them :-(

 

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3 hours ago, SeramaSilly said:

Thank you so much for your reply.  I'm just so scared to put them back together as this is the second chick that has died.  I had two broodies hatch four eggs together and I noticed that one hen was rather frantic - kicking aubiose about and calling to the chicks and actually managing to kick them and send them flying.  I'm not convinced she didn't trample the one I found on Sunday and then tonight finding this little one too has made me think they aren't safe with them :-(

 

If the two Mums were together with 4 chicks I would have expected them to have problems. Maybe someone else will tell you different but I find a hen is very protective over them and even when I went in to clean out any poop or change food, water, she would go nuts and start freaking out until I left.  Having another Mum there may have had the same effect.  I def would keep the Mum's apart and have them with their own chicks.  They don't aim to kill them deliberately, and the chicks generally learn to dodge the feet pretty quick. I do think it's just bad luck.  But don't faff around them for too long when the Mum is there. I used to actually move my Mum and babies into the house when the eggs were about halfway through their cycle!  I prepared a cardboard box with the front torn open and taped down on the floor and filled it with shavings (aubiose would be ok too).  Then every day I'd go in and pick up Mum and take her outside where she'd run around like a crazy thing for 10 minutes and do the biggest single poop (they tend to save it up all day so as to keep the nest clean), but you prob know this already, sorry if I'm stating the obvious! Then I'd open the kitchen door and she's run back in again acting deranged until she got to the eggs and then she'd sit on them and go quiet again.  Then the exact same happened when the chicks were born.  I'd have to let her run in and quickly leave though because if I went in with her she'd keep up the crazy screeching and stomping about which could endanger the chicks.  The faster I left the faster she'd settle right down and allow the chicks to come under her wings. If you could put them somewhere private and quiet away from any other interference, they will be absolutely fine, I'm sure of it.

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Thank you PersonalTAgent! :-)  I googled chicks getting strangled in mum's feathers afterwards and apparently it is a thing - especially with silkie mums (although mine is a serama).  It recommended trimming their under feathers which I have done and I've now put her back in with them.  This has taken all the joy out of the process for me now because I'm just expecting another death any minute.  I don't think I'll do this again :-( x

 

 

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It is stressful. Of my 6 eBay eggs 2 were obvious fertile at day 5, I took another out at day 14 which seemed to have died on around day 8 and I’ve now just candled on day 17 and removed another which also looked like it probably gave up around day 8. So only 2 left. They’re definitely alive at the moment - I could see them moving - but now worrying if they’ll hatch - or if just one will hatch and I’ll have to get some day olds to keep it company like I did last time - or if they both hatch if they’ll both be boys!!!
 

I do love the anticipation though. And I also love having a tame hen hatched and raised by me (except when she pecks me in the eye!)

image.jpg

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5 hours ago, SeramaSilly said:

Thank you PersonalTAgent! :-)  I googled chicks getting strangled in mum's feathers afterwards and apparently it is a thing - especially with silkie mums (although mine is a serama).  It recommended trimming their under feathers which I have done and I've now put her back in with them.  This has taken all the joy out of the process for me now because I'm just expecting another death any minute.  I don't think I'll do this again :-( x

 

 

That's interesting, I had never heard of that and just looked it up to get more info for myself.  I always say that I'm always learning with chooks.  That's a new one for me.  Try not to let it get you down too much.  I know it's hard but again it's a learning curve for next time.  Mostly it works well with Mum's and chicks, I've found anyway. And don't expect it to happen or it just might!  Think lovely big baby growing all the time into a beautiful swan (well, pretty hen!!) and hopefully not a boy!!  Unless you want one! That's the only reason I don't hatch anymore, I have 20 hens and 5 boys!  

1 hour ago, mullethunter said:

It is stressful. Of my 6 eBay eggs 2 were obvious fertile at day 5, I took another out at day 14 which seemed to have died on around day 8 and I’ve now just candled on day 17 and removed another which also looked like it probably gave up around day 8. So only 2 left. They’re definitely alive at the moment - I could see them moving - but now worrying if they’ll hatch - or if just one will hatch and I’ll have to get some day olds to keep it company like I did last time - or if they both hatch if they’ll both be boys!!!
 

I do love the anticipation though. And I also love having a tame hen hatched and raised by me (except when she pecks me in the eye!)

image.jpg

What a great photo!!  Her feathers are a gorgeous colour!!!  We do love our ladies!!!!  :D

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2 hours ago, mullethunter said:

It is stressful. Of my 6 eBay eggs 2 were obvious fertile at day 5, I took another out at day 14 which seemed to have died on around day 8 and I’ve now just candled on day 17 and removed another which also looked like it probably gave up around day 8. So only 2 left. They’re definitely alive at the moment - I could see them moving - but now worrying if they’ll hatch - or if just one will hatch and I’ll have to get some day olds to keep it company like I did last time - or if they both hatch if they’ll both be boys!!!
 

I do love the anticipation though. And I also love having a tame hen hatched and raised by me (except when she pecks me in the eye!)

image.jpg

Really hope your two eggs hatch, thrive and are girls Mullet!  Always love seeing and hearing about Duck! x

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1 hour ago, PersonalTAgent said:

That's interesting, I had never heard of that and just looked it up to get more info for myself.  I always say that I'm always learning with chooks.  That's a new one for me.  Try not to let it get you down too much.  I know it's hard but again it's a learning curve for next time.  Mostly it works well with Mum's and chicks, I've found anyway. And don't expect it to happen or it just might!  Think lovely big baby growing all the time into a beautiful swan (well, pretty hen!!) and hopefully not a boy!!  Unless you want one! That's the only reason I don't hatch anymore, I have 20 hens and 5 boys!  

What a great photo!!  Her feathers are a gorgeous colour!!!  We do love our ladies!!!!  :D

If I did it again I think I would do it with an incubator - especially after hearing about Mullet's broody eating one of her chicks!  I know it's the most natural way to do it with a broody but what with trampling, getting strangled in feathers and being eaten it's also not for the faint-hearted!!

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