Candling peep query!

[chuckyjo]

Hello everybody. I have 3 fertile eggs in my incubator. They have 10 days to go until hatching day. Yesterday I candled all 3 and they were all fine-very active! Plenty of blood vessels visible and lots of movement. Tonight, I candled them again-2 were excellent-same as before, but one was very still and there weren't as many blood vessels visible-one spidery vein at a push and just a little black blob as a peep. No movement except for the natural buoyancy when I turned the egg.

Does this mean that the little fellow is asleep and just relaxing in the middle of the egg where it's harder to see-or could it mean something more sinister like it has died? I don't really want to take it out and candle it again as I'm concerned that this may reduce it's chances and it's better off in the bator. It just isn't looking as positive as the other 2-but I could just be being paranoid!

I'll leave it in the incubator to reach term anyway-but if anyone has seen something similar, I'd like to know and be prepared!

Thanks guys, I'd appreciate any advice or tips and I'll let you know what happens!

xxx

 

[ggrap]

It might not be a problem, just sleeping. But I wouldn't take them out on a daily basis, that is way too much. It drops the humidity and temp in the bator too often. Candle only about once a week. Or 3 times during incubation.

 

[chuckyjo]

Thanks for that!

I don't candle them every day, I've done it 3 times like you said, and taken no more than 3 minutes with each one-from getting them out to candling them to putting them back! The digital display indicated heat and humidity was fine, so I don't think I've done any harm. Last night I was just showing some interested friends! People who actually take an interest in my chickens are few and far between!

They are staying safe and sound in the incubator now!

Thank you for your advice.

 

[MrChantecler]

HI

I agree with ggrap that it was possibly just asleep. I had some that looked pretty dull when I candled and they all hatched except for one.

Sit tight.

Just a word of warning: the first hatch experience is living "heck".
It was the most nerve rcking experience. You can hear them peep and the eggs are rocking and you sooooo want to help them but you can't.

I strongly recommend ear plugs and lots of activities to keep you busy so you don't stress about it.

Good luck and be sure to keep us posted.

N;-)

OOPS- posted under my husband - I'm Chantecler not Mr.Chantecler

 

[chuckyjo]

Haha! It's funny you should say that, because we did set 3 in our incubator last year. 1 was a dud, 2 were fertile and reached term. My 6 year old daughter and me were so excited words can't describe when they started wobbling and tapping! We put our duvets in the room where the bator was, took up beers (for me!) lemonade (for her!) and a host of snacks so we wouldn't have to leave the room. 12 hours we watched. I even jotted down what was happening and at what times, just like timing contractions during childbirth! All night I stayed up. She dozed off but I promised to wake her if anything happened.

The sad tragic thing is, both eggs pipped and were wobbling and rolling all night, but neither of them made it. It was sad but that's life I suppose. I did open the eggs a day later when it was obvious they had died, and the chicks appeared to be fine, but as an amateur I'll never know.

Very kindly, the "Chicken Man" who gave us the eggs donated 4 of his day old chicks-and they are the little beauties who have provided us with our current clutch! He explained that last season was a poor time for hatching, most farmers in the area had had very poor hatches and it's just one of those things.

Fingers crossed a million times for these little fellows!

As for doing something else and getting earplugs-no chance! I won't be able to take my eyes away once they start wobbling!

Thank you all for your advice! It's much appreciated.

xxx

 

[chuckyjo]

Just for information.......

The eggs have hatched now! I have two adorable little fellows who were delivered by myself by emergency ceasarean yesterday morning. Thay are adorablr and doing fantastic.

The egg I suspected to be dead actually was when I broke it open. It died at around 7 days incubation by the looks of it.

Just one of those things.

Am off now to see to my two miracle feather babies!

Thanks everyone.

 

[flamingauburnmustang]

CONGRATS FOR YOUR HATCH!!!!!

I am happy for you. I'm glad they made it.

Please send in some pictures. I am chick obsessed.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I have discovered that you should NOT candle until the 18th day.

This would be the day you take the turner out and put the eggs in the bator for the last 3 days until they hatch out.

I know it is very difficult to NOT candle, but I have gone from a 70 percent hatch rate to a 85 percent just by not disturbing the eggs.

Why do I not candle? I watch a wild game mom set her eggs for 18 days in the horse barn last year. Of course I did not touch them for she would get rather pissy about it.

At day 19 I noticed that she got off the nest alot and just perched on the side of the feeder (she laid a clutch in the minis feeder in the stall). I got to see the eggs and noticed that she no longer turned them and continually listened for peeps !!

Sure enought on day 21 she hatched out two babies. The rest of the eggs did not make it.

I candled the unhatched eggs and to my amazement half of them were at various stages of development but unviable. the other half were blanks. She had put the blanks to the side of the nest as she could not get them out. So she knew which ones to set and which ones were blanks. Since I am not a mama hen, I do not know which ones to keep. But, I did learn to just keep my nose out of the works until day 18. Viable or not, development of the chicks are in the hands of nature.