Candled her eggs w/Photos!

[Pampered Hen]

Darling Trudy went broody week before last! She sits on her own and adopted turkey eggs. I candled the eggs yesterday (what an awesome experience and steep learning curve!). Among a few questionable ones and one confirmed expired embryo I found a bunch that looked like this - with veins and MOVEMENT:

And another one (kind of hard to photograph - in the dark with one hand...)

The following egg appears to have no development, but I returned it to the nest, in case I'm wrong

This egg looked suspicious. You might be able to see a faint ring of dark around the mass. According to what I had read this ring (blood ring) is an indicator of an embryo that died. After long deliberation I removed this egg and opened it up. I should have taken a photo of what I found! Amazingly, there was an embryo inside the size of a thumbnail. It was dead.

 

[krcote]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing!

 

[whenchickensdream]

That is so fascinating. I always learn so much. Thank you for sharing.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I love the pics. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[Pampered Hen]

Thanks! I had such fun candling and learning. I will candle again in a couple days to see how things are progressing.

 

[seabreeze]

Those were great pics and definitely helps when we need to candle ours!!

On turkey eggs, when are the suggested days for candling after putting in the bator?

Thanks!

 

[Pampered Hen]

Seabreeze: I have two clutches under my hen. Her own eggs were incubated for 9 days (I think!). Those are one ones I took the photos of. I have 8 other eggs that I snug under her a few days later. Those had been incubated for 6 days. I could not see any veins but a dark spot that I assume is the embryo.
I think turkey eggs are pretty tough to candle, at least for a beginner such as myself. With their thick shells and the pigmentation it is much more difficult to determine detail.
Because I can't wait, I will candle some of them again tonight. I don't know how it is with others, but my broody hen is very tame (with me) and allows me to take eggs without creating a stir.

 

[crj]

I"ve been wanting to see if my hen that is sitting has good eggs under her. I'm afraid if I go into her domain she will leave and not sit. This is her first time. She had a nest before where my dog found her and she moved. I don't know what happened to the eggs. Some say the dog could have taken them. I doubt she would have carried them to her new condo. Lately I haven't seen her come out. I'll have to check tomorrow to see if she eats. She is very stealth for a big bird......... lol.