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There are two stages to pipping- you are talking about external pipping, but the chicks can peep as soon as they breach the inner membrane: ie, pip internally. You would not see this pip because it happens a few days prior to the chick pipping externally. They pip internally when their lungs are ready to function, and they breathe from the air cell (which is why it's so important to have proper humidity and air cell placement, because you wouldn't want that cell to flood or the chick to position itself to pip and miss the air cell because it is dislocated) while they absorb blood from the inner membrane and absorb what is left of the yolk into their abdomen. During this stage, they will begin to tap a billion time on the inside of the shell, and will eventually pip externally, where you can see.
There are two stages to pipping- you are talking about external pipping, but the chicks can peep as soon as they breach the inner membrane: ie, pip internally. You would not see this pip because it happens a few days prior to the chick pipping externally. They pip internally when their lungs are ready to function, and they breathe from the air cell (which is why it's so important to have proper humidity and air cell placement, because you wouldn't want that cell to flood or the chick to position itself to pip and miss the air cell because it is dislocated) while they absorb blood from the inner membrane and absorb what is left of the yolk into their abdomen. During this stage, they will begin to tap a billion time on the inside of the shell, and will eventually pip externally, where you can see.
