I have 16 eggs in a Hova incubator. Since this morning 8 of the 16 have started to pip. Two of those eight seem to be making good progress. How long does it ususally take from the first pip for the chick to hatch fully? From what I've read most seem to be a couple of hours and mine are now well past that. Help!

It usually can take up to 18 hours from the first pip to hatch. Don't worry. My chicks so far have at the least taken five hours, at the longest taken twenty two hours. I know it's a hard wait, but be patient, and congrats!

Yeah, mine are pipping as we speak and just when I think I need to give them a hand, I go away and voila, they come out on their own. Just a rule of thumb. If the hole is made in the uper quarter of the egg, leave them alone. They will come out within a day. If in the middle or lower half, they might need your help later.

I think there is a "confused" gene in chicks which only gets neutralized by rotating inside the egg and then making a break for it. :)) If you don't allow them to do that and help them then they spend 8 hours being confused about what in the world happened to them (given you did not tear something in them by helping them out).

In reality I think they stay in the shell to dry out some, to get some oxygen into their weak muscles, and to obsorb the rest of the yolk. Trust me, they look a lot healthier and cleaner when you just let them be. 18 hours sounds like norm but I had some that delaid hatching untill 22nd day, so don't give up on eggs right away.

If you think that the chick is dying in the egg, then wait 24 hours from the initial break in the shell, and then chip the egg in the opposite direction of chick rotation. Do not take the chick out, make him push himself out on his own. That's about as much help as I provided without killing the chick.

You might see some blood as you are chipping the egg, but do not worry, those are miscelanious blood vesicles on the shell that are no longer needed by the chick.

Good luck and please do not try my advice unless you absolutely have to.

I`ve just hatched 19 little ones and as explained earlier I took them out of the incubator too soon put them under the heat lamp, which is warmer in the centre so some of the eggs may not have hatched because of this.PS. I got 19 out of 27.One egg took over 30hrs to hatch from the first pip and I had to help it out as well,I also helped 3 more after at least 24hrs and this was after 23days.Now at 10-12days you can`t tell which were helped out as they are all doing great.PS. HAVE I BEEN LUCKY or is it a case of you never can tell and maybe its a grey area what do you think.