5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[SallyinIndiana]

so once you take out your clear eggs and eggs with blood rings, how do you know at your 14 day candle that an egg stopped developing?

Lack of movement, or it will still look very similar to the day 7 or 10 candling. Unless all of them are stopped, you would also see less darkness in the stopped ones. More darkness at day 14 would be more of the chick. At some point you can even see tiny feathers.

 

[Pozees]

Oh yeah
good one. I do the oyster and egg shell as well, but I find I have to crush it up really well or they get stopped up, but how much is too much ?

As long as it's free choice in a separate dish, there is no too much. They will eat what they need.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

good one. I do the oyster and egg shell as well, but I find I have to crush it up really well or they get stopped up, but how much is too much ?

If the oyster shell and egg shells are offered by themselves and not in the food, the chickens will just stop eating the calcium when they have enough. It varies every day based on what they glean from grazing. But when confined, I'm thinking that 2.5%-3% of a laying hen's overall diet is calcium based on the commercial layer feed mixed with the commercial recommended 10% scratch grains. It might also vary on how much sun they get as the more sun the more vitamin D and the more Vitamin D the more a body can absorb calcium. So if a chicken is out in the sun it will get more vit D and need less calcium too.

 

[chickengirl1193]

Lack of movement, or it will still look very similar to the day 7 or 10 candling.   Unless all of them are stopped, you would also see less darkness in the stopped ones.  More darkness at day 14 would be more of the chick.  At some point you can even see tiny feathers.

I can't wait! Thanks! i have a few white eggs that I was able to see into very well

 

[AK FLOCK SWAP]

I just had some back out of buying mine, been setting more because she said she wanted them RU SURE iask OH yes,, I knew I should have asked for down payment,,, She wanted them sexed,, ERR,, OH well, So if your near me, I will have a CHOOKLOAD of chickies Peace<<<<

 

[KristyAnn]

Yup

If the oyster shell and egg shells are offered by themselves and not in the food, the chickens will just stop eating the calcium when they have enough.  It varies every day based on what they glean from grazing.  But when confined, I'm thinking that 2.5%-3% of a laying hen's overall diet is calcium based on the commercial layer feed mixed with the commercial recommended 10% scratch grains.  It might also vary on how much sun they get as the more sun the more vitamin D and the more Vitamin D the more a body can absorb calcium.  So if a chicken is out in the sun it will get more vit D and need less calcium too. 

yup. Plenty of sun in CA

 

[chickee]

8 of the original 11 eggs I set are growing

Not surprised the 3 that didn't grow were refrigerator eggs. This is going to be fun to see how many of the chicks are OEs and how many are pure W/BW Ameraucanas since my pullet (all eggs are from one blue wheaten Ameraucana pullet) was with 2 different roosters. I will be happy either way, if I get mostly pullets that is!

I have found that if you see strong veining around the edges of the air cell your embryo is alive and well. If the veins start fading or looking broken up the embryo is dying. As soon as they die, the veins disappear and the blood from them pool into what is seen as the blood ring.

 

[roostercluck]

When I candled tonight, a lot of my eggs were very dark. I saw some little veins but I'm not sure. A couple other eggs I could really see well. Is it bad that I can't see much? Is there anything I need to do?

 

[chickengirl1193]

[COLOR=4B0082]Question I have never really seen on here. How gently do the eggs need to be handled? When I candle I try to do it as fast as possible so that they will not get cold. Will the jostling them around make them die or burst the veins? Or can they take a pretty hard drop or shake?[/COLOR]

I was curious about this to... I try to be so extremely gentle

 

[SallyinIndiana]

What are possible causes for the blood rings? I'm pretty sure I have an egg with a blood ring. I have 4 eggs that are just too dark to see anything. Then the other 3 look like a started, ring, and clear. Any recommendation for how to treat the dark eggs? Do I leave them in and smell every so many days? Should I be able to see more as time progresses?