# Chicks and sense of rotation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2006, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897 "2006-08-31T09:56:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/1 "2006-08-31T09:56:22Z")
Does a hatching chick open the eggshell clockwise or counter-clockwise? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/2 "2006-08-31T10:35:31Z")
Why a circular motion at all? I think they just keep pecking until they’re free. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/3 "2006-08-31T10:39:41Z")
Chicks like big peckers, I don’t think it matters which way they turn. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/4 "2006-08-31T10:49:58Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Why a circular motion at all? I think they just keep pecking until they’re free. No; many chicks peck a rather neat circular cut around the top of the egg, and pop the lid off. It’s a fascinating question. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/5 "2006-08-31T10:51:50Z")
[Here](http://www.gamebird.com/chickhatching.jpg) is a picture of what the OP is talking about (sorry, it doesn’t answer the question of direction though). ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/6 "2006-08-31T14:02:52Z")
> [@Fish Cheer](#): > > Does a hatching chick open the eggshell clockwise or counter-clockwise? WAG They oscillate back and forth? Incubate a bunch of eggs, sit up and watch, then report the results. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/7 "2006-08-31T14:43:47Z")
I don’t know how authoritative this is but… > [@](#): > > [From Egg To Chick: Incubation Procedures](http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/resources/egg_to_chick/procedures.html) > The chick begins to turn slowly inside the egg. As it turns, usually counter-clockwise, the cutting edge of the chick tooth continues to chip away. In two to five hours, the chick has made about three quarters of a turn inside the egg. As the chick progresses in its movement around the shell, it begins pushing on the egg cap (large end). Squirming and struggling, the chick works feverishly for about 40 minutes pushing at the cap. Finally with a vigorous shove, the chick breaks free from the shell, still wet and panting. This is talking about domestic chickens; it may not be the same in other species. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/8 "2006-08-31T16:32:34Z")
I was at the Michigan State Fair just last Friday, and was watching a quail hatch. It was about half way around when I started watching it, and it only took another couple minutes to finish. It went counter-clockwise, same as **Mangetout** ’s source says, as seen from above. It took a couple minutes longer to first get out of the egg, but it was in an egg tray, in the middle of a bunch of others, and fell back into it’s shell a few times. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/9 "2006-08-31T20:34:25Z")
Can anyone give us a cite from the _Southern_ Hemisphere? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/10 "2006-08-31T20:50:53Z")
Great question ! Fascinating ! ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-and-sense-of-rotation/370897/11 "2006-09-01T07:54:51Z")
Thanks for digging that up, **Mangetout**. I hope **Colibri** sees this thread.