Day 5...curious about Pipping

[Shogun99]

This is my first hatch and I'm new to the hatching/incubating process. I've seen some people refer to the piping that goes on near day twenty or so. My question is...what exactly is piping? Is that when they peep and if so is there anything you should do for them, or help them out?

What are some key things I should know and when one chick gets out, should I let him roam in the bator for a day or so until the others hatch or pull him out and put him in the brooder? Advice?

 

[Hooterville]

Piping is when the chick starts his exit from the shell. Often the little break in the shell will resemble a triangle shape.
From here the chick will start pecking around the circumfrence of the shell (called zipping).
Then hopefully the top pops off and the little one can work its way out.

Hopefully you will not have to help the chick out--My last hatch I did have to help 2 but that was due to having humidity problems. My two had pipped and started their zip but then they became stuck due to the membrane being too dry. Let me say that it can take quite a while sometimes for a chick to go from pip to hatch. Up to 3 days. So don't get in a hurry to help them.

I ended up having to moisten the membrane and then carefully chipped away the shell pieces until the lid popped off.

You really want to avoid having to do this so try to keep your temps and humidty right.

From what I understand, you can leave a newly hatched chick in the bator for up to 48 hours. It really doesn't need to eat or drink for that time. Some people remove their chicks as soon as they're dry and fluffy so that the newbies don't run all over the others that may be trying to hatch.

Hope this helps and let us know how it goes!

 

[roosty]

piping is when the chick cracks the egg shell to get out...there is no reason to do anything to help them...when they pip that means they are coming out....it could take up to 24 hrs for them to get out....sometimes its fast...sometimes its slow.
if it takes longer than that then you may want to help...I know there is this big deal about helping(you shouldnt and all that)(let nature take its course)BUT I help mine *if need be*....If it was nature and all then we wouldnt have them in a bator

yes you let him raom in the bator until he is dry..once dry put it in the brooder...its gonna knock around all the other eggs in the bator but its ok...no big deal...

Its not to hard...just dont worry to much about it...

HOOTERVILLE WE ANSWERED AT THE SAME TIME

Wow...I havent had any chicks take 3 days to hatch.....thats a long time

 

[Hooterville]

Roosty,
I didn't think they could take that long either!
My second pip started on Thursday nite. It partially zipped on Friday and then just quit.
By Saturday afternoon I was convinced it had died and I went to toss it out.

As soon as I picked it up it started peeping so I put it back in the bator. By Sunday morning it had zipped a bit more but I could tell the membrane was just too dry.
I did help her out but it took from Thursday evening til Sunday afternoon before she was truly "born".

She's now 3 weeks old and growing like mad! (at least I hope its a she!!)

Becky

 

[Shogun99]

Thanks for the infor Hooter and Roosty! I apprecaite your sage wisdom and assistance on the matter. I still have about 2 weeks to go, but I wanted to know if there was anything I needed to do. THX again!

Ryan

 

[panner123]

What ever you do, DO NOT open and close the bator every day. Most want to candle on the seventh and fourteenth day. Which is O K, but I do not candle so I only open the bator when it is all said and done. Just keep the temp and humidity right and you will have baby chicks in a few days.

 

[roosty]

I would have to disagree with panner123

Opening the bator lid does not hurt....I open mine all the time...when the eggs are not hatching AND while they are hatching....I have had no problem...as a matter of fact I usally have 100% hatch rate ( on my own eggs that have not been shipped)....If you have ever watched a hen sitting on eggs she does get off of them...at least my hens do...and babies hatch.
My hen was just sitting on eggs and several times I went out there to find her off the eggs and the eggs were kinda cold to the touch....she went back and sat back on them everytime and she had the eggs hatch just fine
I think people stress to much about it....its not an exact science like eveybody thinks

I often candle my eggs a couple of times a week also....with no problem.

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[twigg]

The effect of opening the incubator depends upon the type of incubator you are using.

Small, still air incubators have a hard time maintaining temperature, and an even harder time maintaining the high humidity needed for hatching ... so are best left alone if poss.

Larger, fan assisted incubators suffer less.

There are two kinds of pipping.

Around day 18 or 19 the chicks pip internally. That is, they break through an internal membrane and into the air space. From that point on they are breathing air.

At hatch time, they pip externally. Pipping is simply the chick cracking the shell. You will see a small star shaped crack appear as the chick begins to break out.

This is absolutely NOT the time to panic. A chick can take many hours to progress from this point.

The first of our latest batch, for example, pipped around 5.00pm yesterday. Didn't seem to do anything, but then zipped around the egg and popped out at 7 this morning.

 

[deerman]

Chicks have a egg tooth, that they us to hatch,pip is the first break in the shell,after that around the egg they go. chick should be out within 24 hours. Best to let chicks dry off before removing them.(wet they get chilled)

Not all type of fowl hatch the same. Bobwhite hatch are neat, their eggs shell after hatching, look whole with the lid still attach.

Peafowl,Guineas, pip about half way around, then break free.

Agree about opening the incubator, depend on what type of incubator.