newbie pipping question

[Deni]

My hen is setting on six eggs.
Two of the chicks have broken through the shell but not the membrane. does this count as pipping. I have been keeping an eye on them and one egg has almost half of the shell removed but the membrane is still intact. there is not even the slightest hole in it. Is this normal? I can see the chick move through the membrane and hear it peeping. Will it eventually be able to break the membrane. seeing how eggs hatch online, mine aren't pipping and zipping like everyone elses.

The membrane is completely white and looks like leather. The shell is flaking off of it, but the membrane has not been pierced. should I help?

 

[77horses]

I think your humidity may be a bit low. Maybe try misting a little bit of warm water(not hot or cold) on the exposed part of the membrane? That may soften it up. It also may be too hard for the chicks to break through, so if they can't get out, even after misting them with warm water, then you will probably have to help by breaking a little bit of the membrane yourself(not too much...just enough to help them get through it). I'm pretty sure it's because of low humidity that the membrane is so hard to break through.
Hopefully someone else will give you more info!

Good luck and

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I never interfere with a broody hen, she knows and so do they when to hatch out.

 

[redroosta]

mist lightly with a spray bottle, that should help. if they are still having trouble, use a tooth pick to poke holes in the membrane where the shell is gone, do not chip anymore shell off. good luck

 

[Deni]

okay I did wet the membrane slightly and I could see that it still had blood vessels in it. so I am going to wait and see what will happen.

I didn't prick the membrane because of the blood vessels. I think that as the membrane is drying it is shrinking away from the shell and then when the hen is moving it is breaking more of the shell off. The chick is still peeping and moving so I just placed it back under the hen. I will check in on it one more time before it gets dark. I was wondering if I should place a damp cloth over the lower half of the membrane away from the head, or just hope that the hen will produce enough humidity so that it doesn't completely dry overnight?