Can you Candel eggs before starting incubation?

[mooSa]

Hi, I was told by someone that it is possible to candel eggs to see if they are fertile before starting to incubate them? Basically after the mother lays the egg... How is that done?

 

[Hippie Chickie]

Nope. You can candle them after a few days of incubation to see if they are fertile. You can crack them open to find bullseye and see if the rooster is getting the job done. You cannot candle them before incubation to see if they are fertile because they are not devolping yet and that is what candleing shows.

 

[Eggcellent]

Its still good to candle your eggs before incubation to check where the air cell is. If it is on the wrong side of the egg or detached it is very bad for the chick's prospects. Also, big air cells are indicative of older eggs.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The only way to ensure fertility is by opening the egg, candling does nothing to show that. But you can candle them to check for cracks or other imperfections in the shell, prior to setting.

 

[Bantimna]

I think it might be a little dangerous and a little good. But I would say after you have set them thats IMO but the others have got a few pionters worth looking at.

 

[Akane]

You can candle them and remove any eggs that don't look good to set but you won't know if they are fertile. The only way to tell a fertile egg is a little white spot on the yolk and you can't see white versus yellow coloring through an egg shell. You can only see dark versus light areas and maybe a slight orange tint over the yolk if you have a small, thin, white shelled egg and a very good candling light. Usually it's just a darker circle compared to the egg whites and the air sac.