Is it ok to look in the nestbox?
It is best to leave the breeding and nesting birds alone, except for giving them fresh food and water each day. If both parents leave the nest when you give them fresh food, it may be ok to take a quick peek. If they do not leave the nestbox, then leave them alone unless you want scrambled eggs or injured (or dead) babies. If you are concerned about counting days until hatching begins, just take note of when the hen disappears into the nestbox to give you an approximate time. When you hear peeping from inside the box, you know you have a chick. Many breeders will install a small web cam in the box to keep an eye on what is going on. Why do some of the eggs not hatch Some of the eggs may not have been fertilized. Some eggs may have been jostled (see scrambled eggs above). Sometimes fertilized eggs just stop developing and the baby dies either very early in the incubation period or just before hatching. Occasionally, a chick ready to hatch, is unable to cut through the shell to complete
