Whoa! The hatched chicks are helping the pipped eggs!

[Trinitydraco]

Okay, has anyone else seen this?! This is my first hatch and I have never heard of this. The 2 hatched chicks are tapping, chirping encouragement and even cuddling the next to hatch egg! These 2 have been out for about 6 hours and about an hour ago another egg started to rock and pip. Up until then the little helpers where cuddled up on the other side of the incubator but when they heard the chirping in the egg the rushed over and haven't left since. One is sitting on the egg and gently tapping and the other is cuddled up chirping. Am I nuts or are these chicks helping!

 

[HuffleClaw]

In my opinion I think if the chicks help the others hatch it will be fine. If it seems to be a problem remove the hatched chicks to your brooder.
Very cute chicks btw!

 

[Trinitydraco]

I am going to leave them be. They aren't pecking hard or anything. It seems more like encouragement. I just never heard of such a thing! It's freaking adorable!

 

[HuffleClaw]

I am going to leave them be. They aren't pecking hard or anything. It seems more like encouragement. I just never heard of such a thing! It's freaking adorable!

Aww!

 

[Kessel23]

Just make sure the chicks do not "help" to much and start to break the egg open and damage the chicks before they are ready to come out.

 

[Trinitydraco]

Just make sure the chicks do not "help" to much and start to break the egg open and damage the chicks before they are ready to come out.

Oh definitely! They have only tapped a little here and there. I am keeping an eye out. It really seems like they are cheering him/her on! I may sound like a sentimental sap here but it brought a tear to my eye. So sweet! (but yeah no shell breakage will be allowed.)

 

[Kessel23]

That's good. I had a chick that hatched early and would purposely go around and peck the pips on the other eggs and break the shell and membrane. What is happening to you does not sound like that though.

 

[RedDirtRambler]

That seems mighty sweet, to me! How cute!

 

[Jbently28]

I've heard that slight tapping and chirping encourages actually chicks to hatch. In fact, you can even find videos on youtube of sounds to play for your eggs to help them hatch Just keep an eye on them and if the hatched chicks start pecking a little too hard at them then I would move the chicks to a brooder box under a heat lamp.