I was checking on chicks under my 5th broody hen so far this year (my girls are NUTS) to see what had/hadn't hatched since they were due. 4 of 5 eggs had hatched and the chicks were already old enough to wander a little ways from Momma Minerva. I checked at night, candling the final egg. It was the one of suspected would have issues or not make it due to a small crack in the shell. It has a very large air cell. Immediately I thought "dead" and was planning how to dispose of it when I noticed a flicker of moment. I held it to my ear and could hear it pipping inside and tapping at the shell. When I was considering a safety hole, not finding where the tapping was located, I noticed a small new crack that light could just pass through, indicating the chick was working toward an external pip.
Has anyone seen an air cell like this under a brooding hen?
Has anyone seen an air cell like this under a brooding hen?
