The Chicken egg hatching process

Chicken eggs need to be incubated at a temperature of 37 - 39 degrees Celsius, either through natural incubation or using an incubator. After 19 to 21 days of brooding, the first crack may become visible on the egg's surface. However, it is important not to assist the chick in breaking out of the shell at this point, as it can have severe impacts on the chick's health, especially if the eggshell cracks on the 19th day of incubation. The chicks should fully consume their food inside the shell. The yolk serves as a nutritive material during the embryonic period, while the albumen (egg white) provides protein for cell development. Both of these play an essential role in the embryo's development.

What part does the chick use for pipping? 

The Chick's Egg tooth, which is lost soon after hatching, is responsible for pipping. An egg tooth is a small, elongated bone above the upper mandible. The chick's neck muscle, called the pipping muscle, helps it reach the egg surface using the egg tooth. The muscle's force enables a strengthening movement to tear off the shell membrane and reach the eggshell surface. The chick uses its wings for movement and its shank to push out from inside the egg. The hatching process of a chick may take up to 24 hours before it fully emerges from the eggshell.

When should assistance be provided during hatching? 

Assistance should only be provided by cracking the egg surface if there are no changes in the crack appearing on the shell surface after 3-24 hours. If left unattended during hatching, suffocation can potentially occur, whether with a hen or through artificial incubation methods.