There's a particular kind of heartbreak that comes with raising chickens: the moment you lift a tiny, still-warm body out of the nesting box and wonder what you did wrong. Papulainen is living that moment right now, with two dead chicks, one that hatched too soon, and three eggs still waiting to see if they'll make it. And the worst part? She has no idea if Maisa, the mama hen on her first ever brood, is the problem or just a scared first-timer caught in some rotten luck.
Let's be honest: we've all been there. You read every guide, stock up on vitamins, keep the other chickens away, and still the universe decides to throw a little fowl play your way. Papulainen's instinct to second-guess Maisa's mothering is understandable, when you've buried baby chicks, every shadow looks like a predator. But here's the thing: a hen who is eating, drinking, and calm is probably not a killer. Chicks can die for a dozen reasons before they even fully dry, from weak genetics to a tiny slip in temperature to simply not being strong enough to pip correctly. Two in a row feels like a pattern, but it might just be a cruel streak of randomness.
The practical advice here is actually pretty solid, and we'd tell any reader in the same spot exactly what Papulainen has already decided: pull the heat lamp. At 15 degrees Celsius, Maisa's body heat will do the job just fine, better, even, because she'll tuck those chicks under her wings and keep them at the exact warmth they need, with none of the risk of overheating or chilling from a lamp that moves or fails. Trusting the hen is hard when you're scared, but it's the right call. Let Maisa handle the drying and warming of the remaining three eggs when they hatch. If she's not stressed, she's likely just figuring out this whole motherhood gig, and she needs the chance to succeed.
Stop blaming the hen and start blaming bad luck. Move that heat lamp, give Maisa her space, and let nature do what it's pretty good at. If the three remaining eggs hatch and thrive under her, you'll know the first two were just casualties of a tough start. If they don't, then you reassess, but don't bury hope with the chicks. You've got a broody mama who wants to be a good mother, and she deserves the chance to prove it without a heat lamp stealing her thunder.