So what goes on inside an incubator and how on earth do chickens and all forms of poultry actually break through the egg? Let's enter the fascinating world of chicks hatching!
So for the last 3 days before they attempt to make the great escape the chicks have been getting themselves into the right position to hatch. Their necks acquire a double bend so that their beak is underneath the right wing and turned towards the air sac at the large part of the egg. On the 19th day the chick begins to break out of the egg by thrusting their beaks forward. One amazing tool that the unborn chick has at its disposal is an egg tooth. This is a hard, sharp piece of calcium on the end of their beak which enables them to peck through the hard shell. This falls off around one day after hatching.
So now the chick has started to move it's neck its first job is to break through the inner membrane to get through to the air sac so that the chick can start to use its developed lungs to breathe. Once through the inner membrane the chick can attempt to break the shell by pecking at it thousands of times. It's no wonder that when chicks hatch they are exhausted and simply want to sleep for the first 24 hours.
Once we can see the shell has been chipped away from the outside this is known as the egg is pipping. Once this shell is broken the chick can breathe air from the outside. Up until this point the chick breathes out carbon monoxide and because eggs are so amazing the shell allows this to exit and oxygen to enter! At this point the chick needs to rest. It has spent all it's energy getting through the inner membrane and in pipping the outer shell. Now the second stage of pipping begins.
The chick begins to rotate inside the egg pecking as it goes. Usually they turn counter clockwise. The egg tooth continues to do it's job and slowly the chick goes around the egg making the shell weak enough to break out.
The chick is now able to push against the top of the egg and eventually break free, wet and exhausted. Chicks/ducks now rest, they sleep and try and rebuild their energy and should be left alone until they are fluffed up and ready to leave the incubator after 24 hours.
So that's it. The amazing, fascinating world of chicks and all types of poultry hatching. It's something I never get tired of watching or talking about!
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