can you hear chicks in the egg before they even pip?

[bibliophile birds]

my second round of chicks was supposed to start hatching today. this hatch has been fraught with problems, mostly because my Orp hens seem to be a little hatching stupid, so i wasn't surprised with nothing happened today. i'm not rushing to any conclusions and just giving them an extra couple of days.

anyway, i went in tonight to see if anything was happening and i could SWEAR i heard chirping. i have older chicks nearby, but the broody and these eggs are in a room made of cement block and i seriously doubt i would be hearing 5 3-week old chicks through all that cement. but there are no pips...

so, is it possible to hear them chirping IN the egg? does that mean i should be hopeful?

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

yes it is very common to hear chirping in the egg. when we incubate, if we have eggs left over after most have hatched, I will hold them to my ear and tap on the shell. You can hear them either chirp or scratch inside. Once the chick breaks through the air cell and takes his first breath then it can chirp

 

[bibliophile birds]

YAY! i'm so glad that i wasn't ready to give up on them. go chickies go!