- Thread starter
- #11
- Feb 7, 2013
- 14
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Now both of my eggs have a crack in the egg since 11 am today. Im so "excited, I cant do anything but watch "them, lol
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8 years? Wow thats amazing!! Sorry about your babe passing away, that's not easy.First time i hatched i heard my first peep 32.5 hours before the little guy hatched. that was 8 years ago and my baby just passed away. best chicken i've ever had. but as most people have said it all depends on many factors
The hatching process takes quite awhile as the chick will first "pip internally", i.e. into the air sac, so it can breathe. From there it will pip through the shell and eventually start "zipping" the shell open and complete the hatch. Most chicks will pip through the shell before they are ready to come out of the egg. They pip so they can get fresh air and get used to breathing properly. After pipping they will take a break and absorb the remaining yolk in the egg and the blood in the vessels in the membrane around them. This process can take up to 24 hours and some even longer, so don't worry if it seems the chick is taking too long and don't be tempted to help it hatch unless it's obvious that the chick is not going to make progress (after at least 30 hours). Here is an excellent article on assisted hatch that explains and illustrates the hatching process:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
Good luck with your hatch and keep us posted!