Half the clutch didn't make it. That is not a pipping issue. 50% egg failure in my experience is usually due to a temp. spike/drop, an egg positioning/manipulation issue resulting in late-term death, or a lethal genetic combination. If you cut those three eggs that died you would not have changed the outcome--if they did need more time to develop you would have reduced their odds of survival.
As for breeders: Reputable and Patient are two separate things.