*** AUGUST HATCH-A-LONG come join in ***

[JulieZ]

I put my eggs into the homemade bator on 7/22. Going on the candling, although it is very early in the stage, I wanted to look at a few to get an idea of how to hold the egg, see what's up, etc. A few of them, I could see what appeared to be the yolk but it was dark, like blood. I hope this is a good sign?
When I first put the eggs in the bator I didn't see what everyone was so excited about. Now day 3 has arrived & the anxious feeling of waiting till day 6 or so to candle again is driving me insane. Now I get the excitement.

 

[Kedreeva]

Julie, I wouldn't worry about candling until Day 10 or so (unless you just want to see for fun) because that is the easiest time to tell who is alive and who is not- the alive ones you will see big dark veins and half the egg will be dark with red and you will probably be able to see a 'dancer' inside- that is the heartbeat and the embryo. Very cool and VERY obvious when it's alive.

 

[Blubrd]

Quote:
They are going to either be Black white crested or Black white crested crossed with blue polish.

 

[abooth]

Kedreeva, I agree candling on day 10 is easiest and the best time to throw any out. I never toss an egg before day 10. I don't really candle the eggs the broodies sit on. I think they get rid of the bombs on their own.

 

[Kedreeva]

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MOST of them do, but I've heard a few stories of people having eggs explode under their broodies and having to try to clean up that mess. It didn't sound fun! I guess it never sounds fun though >.<

I personally had my first encounter with one of the hens trying to go broody today. She told me in NO uncertain terms that I was NOT going to take her egg away from her today, she was going to sit on it. My RIR's don't even have a roo! But I'm not really one to take no for an answer from chickens, so I took her egg anyway. I got three 2-inch skin-only lacerations down my arm for my trouble. She meant business! I may try giving her a few eggs from the eggs I am expecting sometime in the next 2 weeks, if she is still wanting to sit.

 

[JulieZ]

Kedreeva & Abooth ... can you get an idea of what is going on in the egg before day 10? *Not to throw away* away but maybe veins or some other indication of possible life form growing?

 

[orionburn]

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Try this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876

It will give you a good idea of what to expect as the egg progresses through development and what to look for.

 

[Kedreeva]

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Yeah, you CAN, but it can be difficult to see much before Day 5. I sometimes candle on day 5 (if I'm so excited I can hardly stand it) to see whose 'yolk' area looks darker because those are usually the ones where the membrane for the veins has started to bloom inside the egg. But really, sometimes I think that's just wishful thinking on my part >.> I may be imagining what I hoped to see.

 

[conroy]

putting some Cuckoo Maran eggs under our broody EE today

 

[friskebluegills]

I have 65 Guineas set to hatch August 9th. I'm so excited. Last time i did guineas 21 out of 24 hatched so I thaught that was pretty good.