Hearing peeping from the nesting box!

[carabear133]

We hear peeping from the nesting box! It's the middle of the night so I didn't want to open the door or anything to disturb the hen. From what I've been reading, the chicks are probably still inside the eggs? The box is a foot off the ground, how long until I worry about access to water?

 

[Odelia]

If you can hear cheeping on the other side of the door I would say it already hatched. The chicks absorb the last of the yolk before hatching so that they do not have to have food and water for a couple of days. That way momma can continue hatching the rest of the eggs. Everyone is fine and will be fine for days. Congratulations on your new chicks.

 

[carabear133]

Thank you for your advice! All four chicks must have hatched that night, because we saw four fluffy chicks in the nest box yesterday morning. Mama and babies are doing great! I moved the other girls to a new coop so the chicks could have privacy and their own food and I'm pretty much leaving them alone until this weekend since I'm super busy at work this week. Last I saw this morning, mama showed the babies where breakfast was located and they were happily eating

Happy May Day!