Did the Little Chick Die?

[Barry Natchitoches]

Momma Broody has been sitting on at least two viable eggs for about 3 weeks now. (The rest of the eggs in her clutch were laid by beginner hens who had not even laying eggs for a full month, the eggs are small, and I don't figure they're likely to make it.)


Last night, about 7:30, we heard Momma Broody cooing and a single chick chirping. We never actually saw the chick, because Momma keeps everything hidden well under her wings.


But we listened to the symphony of Momma cooing and baby chirping all thorugh the night and into the morning.


Then about 8 am this morning (over 2 hours ago), all that stopped.


Momma is awake and alert, but she's not cooing any more.


And the lone baby that we heard is not chirping anymore.


Have we lost that chick?

 

[The Sheriff]

Are you not able to go out and look? I'm confused.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

No, she is in the back of a large dog cage, and even if I wasn't afraid to disturb natural processes, I still could not reach all the way back there to peek under the wing.


Update: we started hearing more peeping around noon. Momma began cooing again when the peeping began again.

 

[BirdMom]

You can hear cheeping from the eggs before they're hatched, once they pip into the air cell. That's probably what you've been hearing. You should see some little baby cutenesses peaking out from under mommy soon.