When you get your brand new little chicks or ducklings at the store, you might not realize that these babies have gone through quite a bit, including piping through their shells to hatch.
Chicks and ducklings have an egg tooth on the tip of their beak or bill. This tooth allows them to successfully “pip” through their shell. This egg tooth is temporary and will fall off after hatching. But when you get your sweet new arrivals, they might still have this egg tooth on the tips of their beaks or bills.
The egg tooth is sharp enough to pierce the shell membrane to the actual shell. Once the chick or duckling breathes all the air in the air sac, it will pip to get the outside oxygen it needs. The egg tooth helps them pip through the shell membrane to cut a hole through the shell. They will then continue to cut around the shell to hatch fully!
Your sweet littles will soon have smooth beaks and bills, but let the egg teeth dry and fall off naturally. This happens pretty quickly after hatching, but these sweet day-old babies still had them.
Check out my other posts regarding chicks and ducks!
Kid-Friendly Ducks for Your Homestead
Chicken Breeds for a Colorful Egg Basket