Did I hear a peep? UPDATE: Chick hatch!!

[SkyWarrior]

Okay, folks, I'm really flummoxed. Today and yesterday I heard a couple of peeps in the evening and silly me, I wondered what birds were outside peeping at this time of night.

I have 21 eggs in the incubator -- my first attempt. We're on day 20 or 21, depending on how you count. I don't have a great expectation for hatching. I'll be lucky if I see a few chicks out of the lot.

But, did I just hear a chick peep?

My cat, Hailey, caught a mouse earlier. Maybe I have more mice?

 

[Gypsy07]

No, you're not being silly. You probably DID hear a chick peeping away inside the egg. That's a good sign, so don't worry. It means they're just about ready to hatch. If you get your ear up really close to the bator you might hear a faint tap tap tapping too, which is the chick trying to make its first pip out of the shell. You might see the eggs wobbling and rocking about too as the chicks struggle to hatch. I'm sitting through all of that right now and boy is it nerve wracking! Good luck with your hatch. What have you got in there anyway? I'm hoping for three White Leghorns and I've got one fully hatched already.

 

[pgpoultry]

Try saying quite loudly...."Come on, you can do it!".....the chicks will often answer and make more effort (NO KIDDING).

I have heard and seen my broody hens encouraging their chicks so I don't feel quite so crazy when I do it!

Sandie

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
My boyfriend's caught me more than once hanging out in front of my bator and peeping loudly at the eggs inside it.
I read somewhere that it can encourage them to bust out of the eggs and, well, what harm could it do. LOL!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Currently I have Marans and Blue Orpingtons in this hatch. At least, that's what I'm hoping for.

BTW. I just peeped to them as suggested. I have at least one that peeped back. That's a good sign, yes?

 

[sarochka]

Ohhh, I remember hearing that first peep late at night on day 20! I almost went crazy over the next 20 hours, nose pressed up against the incubator window, waiting for them to hatch. Every now and then there would be a peep or a tap. At last I couldn't stand it anymore and went out to dinner... When I got home, there was more peeping, and I was like, "Peep...peep... yeah, yeah..." Then I looked down and there was a little black chick tumbling around on top of the other eggs!

Several others hatched soon after. But golly, that first one takes forever!

Hope you have some chicks by now!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Nada. Just lots of chirping and tapping.

 

[gryeyes]

I remember when I finally realized it was a peep from within an egg..... you coulda knocked me over with a feather. My heart started racing! And later, that chirping and tapping made me almost whirl like a dervish. I couldn't sit still. I would go back into the room, put my head close to the incubator, hold my breath, and wait for the next tap and or peep.

I swear, one time the peep sounded ANNOYED. Like, "It's CRAMPED in here!" (I made that last part up... but the peep was different from the others I'd heard.)

I am SO crossing my fingers for you and your hatch!!! Tapping and peeping, woo hoo!

 

[crj]

I feel a little more normal now. I am doing what each and everyone of you are doing! This is our first hatch and we went to lock down on Sat. Today we have 2 eggs with cracks and I know I heard 2 different peeps.

Our bator isn't big enough to press my nose against it but if I did I would

I'm starring down into mine with a flash light peeping at the eggs. This is just too cool

The suspense is enough to kill you though. Hope we all have a great hatch

Gotta run and go check on them again

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I just saw the chick pip open an airhole.