Hatching Terms

bloom: natural coating on the eggshell that helps keep air and bacteria out of the egg

Candling: process of shining a light through the eggshell to check for hairline cracks or to gauge development of a fertile egg. originally, an actual candle was used to shine light through an eggshell to determine if the embryo inside was developing properly, hence the popularization of the term.

egg tooth: hard protrusion at the end of a duckling’s bill that assists in breaking through the eggshell. the egg tooth falls off shortly after the duckling hatches.

pip: the initial hole that a hatching duckling makes in the shell using its egg tooth

Zip: the process that a duckling uses to remove the top of the shell by methodically tapping and breaking the shell in a circular pattern, usually at the blunt end.