Peeping eggs?

[LTygress]

I'm working on my first batch of eggs right now (Ameraucana) and they're due on Friday. I've done plenty of research and they seem to be right on track. The incubator sits near an exterior wall, and I've noticed in the past 24 hours some very faint chirping noises, like that of a baby chick. It's hard to tell if it may be a wild bird outside, but there are no trees anywhere near the house, so it would have to be perfect timing with the wild birds flying by the house.

... Or is it possible to hear the chicks peeping while still inside of the egg? I heard one of them early this morning, and the other about 30 minutes ago - when I started researching the possibility. But I don't actually see anything about it online. Can chicks make peeping noises before they actually pip?

 

[sourland]

Yes sometimes chicks become quite vocal during the hatching process.

 

[LTygress]

Okay cool.
So far I haven't seen any pips yet. But then they aren't due until Friday anyway. I just thought they might need air (like a human does) to make vocal noises.

 

[cochins1088]

They do need air to peep, they begin the hatching process by pipping the internal membrane into the air sac. There, they start breathing and then soon start peeping. They usually take a break after pipping internally, up to 24 hours. Often times they won't pip externally until the air sac has almost completely run out of oxygen.

 

[LTygress]

Ah, okay. So when they start to peep, its a sign that they have actually begun the hatching process. Got it. Makes sense now.

I did wake up this morning to a pip! And since finding that (about an hour ago) he has struck the shell one more time, and I can hear it rocking like crazy on the wire. I can't wait to see what color it is, though!



He's still a day early, but it's likely that the summer heat down here in GA was actually incubating him before I brought him inside!

 

[LTygress]

And the first one has emerged!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Congratulations! Five or six hours from pip to hatch is not bad at all, not at all.

If they are within 24 hours either way of that theoretical 21 days, I consider them right on time. You don't need to adjust anything.

It looks like you are in the middle of a great hatch.

 

[LTygress]

Well, I wouldn't quite say it's 4-5 hours from pip to hatch. I only woke up to the pip - it could have happened any time last night after I went to bed. But that one was definitely ahead of the others, and apparently wanted to get out pretty quick!