Does the pipping location have to be UP?

greenaus · **Posted:** Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:09 pm

With so many questions asked in so many threads my fear is always that my question may have been asked and answered before. I hope this is a new question.

The two chicks that had pipped their shells this morning each pipped at the bottom (kind of UNDER the egg). I only knew they'd pipped because I heard one chirping when I opened the incubator to turn the other eggs. I then checked each of the five eggs that are due tomorrow.

I turned the pipped eggs around so that the pipped bit is UP. My theory is that they could drown if starting UNDER the egg.

Is that correct?

I did it last week to a couple of those that pipped on the underside or sides and they hatched fine.

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:49 pm

I wondered the same thing, Charles.

Isn't it lucky that at least some clever chicks hatch by themselves during the night when we are not there to worry about which way up they are, or how long they're taking!

I'm not really having a go at you, as I am a habitual interferer from way back (although I try hard to let things happen naturally! :roll:

).

At least if the hole is pointing down any free fluid in the egg should drain out through the hole away from the chick. That would be my theory anyway, for what it's worth.

Deb :-D

kwinagi · **Joined:** Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:58 pm **Posts:** 236

i have found that the eggs often start pipping on the underside of teh egg, and that is just the way it sometimes happens. if temp and humidity have been correct there shouldn't be any fluid to drain away.

greenaus · **Posted:** Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:45 pm

That's a very good point and it had crossed my mind. I just thought it was possible because I keep reading about chicks absorbing the last of the yolk just before hatching.

kwinagi · **Joined:** Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:58 pm **Posts:** 236

the yolk is in a sac attached to their umbilical cord and gets absorbed into the guts, so unless there is some form of interference (fingers fingers fingers :oops:

) there should be no fluid coming from the yolk.

moonshadow_dancer · **Posted:** Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:05 pm

I have eggs hatching right now, and some roll so much they end up upside down, but still produce healthy little chicks.

I don't touch the eggs whilst they are hatching as I use to do and they get their wriggly little bodies out just fine from what I can see.

greenaus · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:09 pm

kwinagi wrote:

(fingers fingers fingers :oops:

)

It has been a LONG time since I helped ANY chick out of an egg.

Only one was helped last week and that was by a silly little five year old while daddy wasn't watching. It lived, so I don't actually know how much she helped. Maybe it was out and her older sister just thought wet chick plus egg shells (oh...and blood) equals naughty girl. ...a very lucky naughty girl.

I apologise for my ignorance of how it looks inside an egg at hatch time. I've never been inside an egg at hatch time. ;-)

kwinagi · **Joined:** Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:58 pm **Posts:** 236

why apologise?
i know what it looks like inside from days when i didn't know better and interfered and when i have examined dead in shells.

its a yucky process but it helps work out at what stage the chick died, and if any adjustments are necessary to the incubator process (such as finding where the air holes are plugged and unplugging them to improve ventilation :oops:

), so all a learning curve and that is why forums are so good, they act as a resource to save others from making the same mistakes

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