Ahh - 4 pips overnight on day 20! HELP!

[discodannio]

Ok, so I'm not going to freak out like others do at this point (yeah right...), but I do have a couple questions.

WHen they chicks pip, is there continual movement/pipping action? Or do the chicks take long breaks? I just got up after sleeping through my 3:00 alarm to go check the eggs, and there are the 4 pips. 2 are just 'dents', but the other 2 definitely have a bit of cracking action.

My question: should I see either movement, or rocking, or 'breathing' (whatever that looks like) when I can't yet see the actual chick('s beak)? Basically, I'm worried about the 'pip and die' syndrome, and I'm wondering if they've been pipped for, like, 8 hours already and are dead b/c they've stopped now.

Make sense? Drat... I got up late so I don't have any extra time to sit and watch to see if there's any movement/progress. Obviously the best I can do is wait - but can anyone answer my questions above?

Thanks!

DD
PS - I hope I come home to my 2 little kids staring with excitement into an incubator full of chicks!

 

[key west chick]

Piping can take hours. Its hard work chipping threw that shell. They will work at it awhile and then take a nap. It may even be tomorrow before all is said and done!

 

[Elly_Mae]

Yes they do take breaks, lots of them. I've had it take 24hrs from pip to hatch.

 

[wannabchick]

Whoot whoot, won't be to much longer
And yes, I too was like u
They do take breaks, they work those little beaks, sometimes u see their beaks at the rio, sometimes u don't
I always use a flashlight and then go to bed wake up and babies..whoop whoop

Never say I didn't give u anything..hehehe..wink wink

 

[discodannio]

Arrggh... I have a staff meeting after work today... I'm thinking I'm going to skip it on the grounds of "Paternal leave" or something like that!

DD

 

[smchickfarm]

I just hatched some last weekend. My first pip happened Thursday at 4:20pm, that chick did not make any progress or hatch until Friday at 3:00pm! So yes, some do take long breaks and some get in a big hurry to get out

Good Luck on your hatch