Please explain this hatching terminology

[silkiechick05]

Pip and zip...

 

[SED]

This is when a chick "pips" (pecks a hole in the shell of the egg) and then turns itself around in the egg breaking the egg as it goes around and "un-zips" the top of the egg so it can get out. That is the best way I know how to explain it! Especially at 11:30 PM!

 

[Daidohead]

A "pip " is the first air hole a chick makes in an egg, A " zip" is the continuation of the pip around the egg.

 

[Illia]

Yup, pipping is when they do this:

And zipping is when they do this:

 

[saddina]

The pip is a beak sized air hole. The zip is a straight line that comes off the pip, that makes the hinge for the chick to escape the egg. Sometimes a chick will pip the airhole, then not zip for hours (during this time it's often absorbing the last of the yolk).

 

[silkiechick05]

Thank you so much!

Illia, I love those pictures too!

I am new at the hatching stuff and am getting my incubator in about a week... My silkie just started laying!

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Good luck with that.

- It will be a great experience!