They started by breaking the egg into a plastic film that has a calcium and water solution in it in order to mimic the environment within the eggshell.
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By placing it in a transparent container they are able to witness the entire process as it unfolds. Usually, the incubation period is about one month.
They then place the container inside an incubator in order to give the chick the right conditions to form. What happens next is incredible!
Contrary to what one might think, the chick doesn’t come from the egg yolk, but from some of the cells that are found there, called the blastoderm, produced by the fertilisation of the egg.
After a few days, the embryo is formed, and you can even see the chick’s heart beating! After about a week you're able to make out the eyes, beak and form of the chick along with some voluntary movements.
21 days after starting the experiment, the chick can hatch normally. It is in good health, frolicking happily through the laboratory…
