Help! Cheeping heard on day 15???

[lanaschix]

So this is our first time incubating chicken eggs. It is only day 15 and when I went to add water this morning I could hear someone cheeping! It was faint but definite! They are all standard size eggs - medium to large breed - Faverolles, Wellsummers, Cochins, Polish. Does this mean someone is going to hatch early? I'm not ready!

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

Are you absolutely 100% sure the cheeping came from your eggs and not an outside bird with a sense of humour? I got caught out like that once or twice! If it did come from your incubator, it's possible that the egg(s) you set were brooded for a few days before being collected. The quickest I've ever seen a chicken egg develop and hatch was 18 days, but it was a small egg, which could explain it.

Please keep us posted!

 

[lanaschix]

I'm pretty sure but of course now my kids are all listening and we don't hear it and they think I'm nuts, (entirely possible.. Ha) This is our first time but when candling eggs we were surprised to see that some seemed to be much more developed than the others at the same time. We attributed it to variation in breed but maybe not.

We got them from a private breeder and she had them at room temperature on her counter. She told us they had all been laid within the last three days. If a mama had started brooding them for a couple days before collection but then they were put at room temperature, wouldn't that have killed them? I should also mention that we live in central Florida and temperatures have been in the high 90s.

 

[sumi]

Quote: You'd better get that brooder ready

Temperatures in the high 90's is what eggs develop at, so it's possible that the eggs may have got "started" by a hen and the hot weather took over. I've actually seen this happen once, when I left an abandoned nest (from a broody) and the chicks continued developing in the summer heat. (With mixed results… I won't recommend it.)

 

[lanaschix]

CK! It's definite. I think it's only one of 19 eggs but when we hold it to our ear it's definitely peeping!!!

 

[sumi]

Awww... Right mom, is the brooder ready? I'd recommend you put a feather duster in the brooder for the baby to snuggle into (DO NOT place it close to the heat source - it warms up and can catch fire) and we'd want to see pics of the little one when it comes, please?

 

[lanaschix]

Our brooder was not ready but it is now! We luckily had purchased the Brinsea Mini but then we decided we wanted more eggs and someone let us borrow a bigger incubator. We had not returned the Mini yet so we moved this lone cheeper into it. This little chick is definitely alive and active. We have not seen him pip yet but the egg is definitely moving. I spoke with the breeder and she is baffled because she says they collect the eggs every day.

She said if she hatches, we could come by tomorrow and get another chick to keep her company. Do you think that's a good idea?

 

[sumi]

She said if she hatches, we could come by tomorrow and get another chick to keep her company. Do you think that's a good idea?

That is a VERY good idea! A lone chick will drive you crazy in no time, believe me. We've been there and ended up carrying the little one around with us and taking it everywhere, because it would not stop yelling otherwise LOL They hate being being by themselves and will be much happier with another little chick for company.

Once the rest of the chicks hatched and you moved them to the brooder, you can add these littles and don't have to worry abut bullying. Chicks integrate much easier than adult birds.

 

[lanaschix]

 

[sumi]

It's making good progress…