8 hours pipping

[Kthompson12]

One of my chicks has been pipping/zipping for 8 hours. He has made progress but it's slow. His beak is out, he is chirping, but not making much progress this morning. Does he just need more time?

 

[SilverBirds]

It can take 24 hours for a chick to fully hatch. I'd give him more time.

 

[Kthompson12]

One of my chicks has been pipping/zipping for 8 hours. He has made progress but it's slow. His beak is out, he is chirping, but not making much progress this morning. Does he just need more time?

 

[Kthompson12]

It can take 24 hours for a chick to fully hatch. I'd give him more time.

even if he hasn't made much progress in the last few hours?

 

[SilverBirds]

even if he hasn't made much progress in the last few hours?

Yes. The first few hours the baby will be working on finishing absorbing the yolk and resting to build energy to zip. Once the yolk has been mostly absorbed the baby will resume the zipping process.

 

[Kthompson12]

Yes. The first few hours the baby will be working on finishing absorbing the yolk and resting to build energy to zip. Once the yolk has been mostly absorbed the baby will resume the zipping process.

Thank you! Now on hour 17, still chirping but no shell progress

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes. The first few hours the baby will be working on finishing absorbing the yolk and resting to build energy to zip. Once the yolk has been mostly absorbed the baby will resume the zipping process.

First they internal pip. They break into the air sac and learn to breathe air instead of living in a liquid world. Then they external pip, knock a hole in the shell so they can get to fresh air. Then they absorb the yolk and dry up blood vessels in the membrane surrounding them, and sometimes just rest. That's hard work. When they are ready they zip, rip a line around the eggshell and push it apart. The word "zip" implies it could be fast. It often is.

Some chicks do a lot of this before external pip, they can hatch fairly quickly after external pip. Others take a lot longer. These can be frustrating, like yours. You do not want to help it before it is ready, you can break a blood vessel in the membrane around the chick and it can bleed to death. Or it may not have absorbed the yolk which could cause fatal issues if you open the egg to early.

Sometimes a chick gets to external pip and can't go further. You might do a search on assisted hatch in the articles section above to be prepared. Knowing when to help is the hard part. I leave them alone as long as the chick is moving and breathing. There could be a reason the chick does not hatch, a birth defect or such. I don't help many but maybe half the ones I help don't make it. There is just something wrong with the chick to start with.

Good luck with it. I don't see any reason to get worried yet.

 

[Kthompson12]

First they internal pip. They break into the air sac and learn to breathe air instead of living in a liquid world. Then they external pip, knock a hole in the shell so they can get to fresh air. Then they absorb the yolk and dry up blood vessels in the membrane surrounding them, and sometimes just rest. That's hard work. When they are ready they zip, rip a line around the eggshell and push it apart. The word "zip" implies it could be fast. It often is.

Some chicks do a lot of this before external pip, they can hatch fairly quickly after external pip. Others take a lot longer. These can be frustrating, like yours. You do not want to help it before it is ready, you can break a blood vessel in the membrane around the chick and it can bleed to death. Or it may not have absorbed the yolk which could cause fatal issues if you open the egg to early.

Sometimes a chick gets to external pip and can't go further. You might do a search on assisted hatch in the articles section above to be prepared. Knowing when to help is the hard part. I leave them alone as long as the chick is moving and breathing. There could be a reason the chick does not hatch, a birth defect or such. I don't help many but maybe half the ones I help don't make it. There is just something wrong with the chick to start with.

Good luck with it. I don't see any reason to get worried yet.

Thank you all! I feel better

 

[Kthompson12]

First they internal pip. They break into the air sac and learn to breathe air instead of living in a liquid world. Then they external pip, knock a hole in the shell so they can get to fresh air. Then they absorb the yolk and dry up blood vessels in the membrane surrounding them, and sometimes just rest. That's hard work. When they are ready they zip, rip a line around the eggshell and push it apart. The word "zip" implies it could be fast. It often is.

Some chicks do a lot of this before external pip, they can hatch fairly quickly after external pip. Others take a lot longer. These can be frustrating, like yours. You do not want to help it before it is ready, you can break a blood vessel in the membrane around the chick and it can bleed to death. Or it may not have absorbed the yolk which could cause fatal issues if you open the egg to early.

Sometimes a chick gets to external pip and can't go further. You might do a search on assisted hatch in the articles section above to be prepared. Knowing when to help is the hard part. I leave them alone as long as the chick is moving and breathing. There could be a reason the chick does not hatch, a birth defect or such. I don't help many but maybe half the ones I help don't make it. There is just something wrong with the chick to start with.

Good luck with it. I don't see any reason to get worried yet.

It's hard to tell but he has made some progress. Is he too far down? Upside down? Is he stuck?