Two of the 3 eggs from Apache's 2nd nest have hatched. The chicks must have hatched yesterday as they look a day old today. I left the unhatched egg in the nest and did not carry out checks to find out if it is fertile and about to hatch. I could if I wanted to. The process involves holding an egg candler (I use the Brinsea Egglume) against the egg and shining a light into it.
If there is a chick in the egg, the light will not be able to shine through but we still need to know if the chick is alive or if it has died without being able to break through the shell.
To check, take a bowl of slightly warm water. Wait for the water to settle until the surface is completely smooth. Then gently lower the egg into the water taking care to disturb the water as little as possible. Wait a few seconds for the water to completely settle. If there is a live chick in the egg, it will move. This, in turn will cause the egg to move slightly in the water and you will see slight ripples on the water surface moving outwards from the egg. If the chick is dead, there will be no movement and no ripples.
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