Pipping height and pipping line

Pipping height and pipping line

The pipping height provides information about the hatching process. A high pipping height near the blunt end indicates insufficient moisture loss (weight loss). Insufficient weight loss has retarded the metabolism and the embryo is not fully developed, which makes some chicks unable to hatch. If you examine the hatched chicks, in cases of insufficient moisture loss, you will see many chicks with swollen abdomens (thick, filled yolk sac and build-up of fluid in the abdominal cavity). These chicks usually have poorly sealed navels. There are more symptoms that can indicate cases of insufficient moisture loss during the period in the setter. Consider the fact that the average moisture loss from a tray of eggs is not the same as it is for an individual egg. If the moisture loss is below 5-6%, the chick will not hatch. If the moisture loss is 7-9%, the chick will hatch but its abdomen will be swollen and enlarged and it will have red hocks. In contrast, a very low pipping height indicates excessive moisture loss, and the lack of amniotic fluid leads to a wrongly positioned chick. In such cases, the legs may even fold around the head, and the chick will not be able to pip the eggshell at all.

A very jagged pipping line is an indication of sub-optimal hatching conditions and poor chick quality. The pipping line follows the position of the air cell. The ideal pipping height is shown on egg A. If the moisture loss was insufficient, the height of the line is higher (B). With too much moisture loss, the pipping line is low (C).copyright protected

Correct pipping. Too high pipping height.