Pipping and zipping

Quick update on our duckling eggs.

We woke this morning to find one of the three eggs had 'pipped'.  This means that they had pushed the shell outwards and cracked it in one small area.  I've tried to photograph our eggs but they've not photographed well.  Here is a picture of a pipped egg to show you.

Since then another has pipped, and the one which pipped first has now begun to 'zip'.  When birds are hatching out of an egg, they don't just flex their wings and push the shell off, they make lots of little cracks around the shell, usually in a zig zag (zip like) type pattern, which weakens the shell and enables them to push it open.  Ah, here's a better picture to show the difference...

We're shocked by how long it's all taking.  Chickens are usually out well within 24 hours of the first pip.  Seems the ducks are going to take much longer; apparently they rest for longer periods between stages.

Oh, very exciting.  I'm trying to really savor this hatch as once it's done we will have hatched chickens, quail and ducks.  I'm not sure if I can justify further hatches for educational purposes - what do you think?