The Hatch

I can't stop looking in the incubator. The chicks are scheduled to hatch in a few days. This morning, I moved the eggs from the automatic egg turner and placed them on the flat screen inside the incubator. Chicks emerging from shells can get caught and injured in the turner. While moving the eggs, I found a tiny triangular piece missing from one egg. That's the first sign that a chick is ready to hatch. I listen for peeps, as chicks will chirp inside the egg. Nothing. I practice my mama hen sounds. Was that one, maybe two, muffled cheeps? I look for more cracks. Nothing. I don't expect a fully-hatched chick until tomorrow. But that still doesn't stop me from peering through the window and checking their progress.