Is something wrong?

[John Roth]

So my broody hen is on some eggs and this morning they started to make their cracks. But it's been 6 hours and no change. Is something wrong or are they chilling and waiting for tomorrow?

 

[findlayka]

I had several eggs hatch over the last 2 days - I found that some do take longer than others. 2 of mine pipped last night by 9pm but they didn't hatch out until around noon today.

I would wait it out and see what happens. I've read that some chicks take as long as 24 hours after the first cracks are made.

 

[torilovessmiles]

It can sometimes take more than 24 hours from pip to zip. My experience is little but in the hatches I've done, I've had some get it over in 6 hours and some take nearly two days!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes, chicks can take 24 hour from pip to zip. Some can hatch out in a matter of a few hours others can take almost a day. Mine seem to average between 12-18. I have had ealier ones and a few later. I don't believe a hatcher should interfere until at least 18 hours in and then only to check positioning and that's in an incubator, where I usually have a general idea of just when it pipped.

After they pip they are resting and waiting for the vascular system between the chick and egg to shut down. Sometimes this takes most of the day. If you interfer before this happens you can cause the chick to bleed out and loose a viable chick. Also sometimes chicks haven't finished absorbing the yolk and that is happening as well and you can't rush that either.

As long as the chick is not in apparent distress human assistance should be limited. Yes, there are times that we loose a chick before they hatch out, but on the flip side we could cause the death of a chick that would have made it by helping too, so it can be very frustrating deciding when to help.