Candling dark eggs day 7

[Island Coppers]

Finding it difficult to see anything in the Marans eggs I was incubating I made this. It's simple, 760 Lumens LED with the plastic bulb removed, a cord, cardboard from a tp roll, aluminum foil, tape. It's so bright I worried that I'd blind them in egg. It didn't.

Do as Kiki suggested and "shine the light in the fat end of the egg".

 

[FunClucks]

Ok, eggs 2 and 6 I can see veins clearly on.

1 I see nothing and 3 I think has a blood ring, so I think both those are not growing.

4 and 5 maybe my candler isn’t strong enough. Or I haven’t blocked enough light. I just can’t tell with those darker ones… I’ll try again next week.

I haven’t tossed 1 and 3 yet. Are they ok in there until next week when I candle again? I guess I’ll candle them again to be sure but I’m not holding my breath. I assume I’ll be tossing those two next time I candle?

The risk is that the egg might putrefy and crack/burst and possible infection of healthy eggs. However, I never had a problem with it. If you set fresh eggs, with minimal contamination on the surfaces/enclosure, the risks are probably minimal that you'll get cracking within the next week, but it is never zero, so you just have to decide how you feel about the risk. Also, once there is cracking, the other eggs also have a good chance of still being fine. I know a number of folks have had eggs crack all over the brooder/under hens, and the rest of the chicks are still fine.

I'd wait and see if they were mine. Risk is throwing away a living chick vs. cracking egg and making a mess of the incubator, with possible infection/loss of previously healthy chicks. If they haven't changed, or have degraded, it will be obvious in a week, I'd toss them them. The diff between living and non-living should be very obvious then. Have you seen the article on this site about what candled eggs look like at each day/week? Totally worth a read when you're comparing eggs, and can help you get comfy with your choices.

In my experience, if they're still growing but much more slowly that others, those are not viable, and will not make it to hatch. Something inside them is busted up and not right. So I toss those also. They never make it all the way and don't give healthy chicks.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I know that a lot of people already responded to this thread, but I decided that I would attach these images I drew on anyway lol

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

View attachment 4034629View attachment 4034675

I know that a lot of people already responded to this thread, but I decided that I would attach these images I drew on anyway lol

These are the exact two I thought weren’t viable!

I’m going to candle again in next couple days and plan to toss them then if there’s no change (which I’m expecting)

 

[FunClucks]

These are the exact two I thought weren’t viable!

I’m going to candle again in next couple days and plan to toss them then if there’s no change (which I’m expecting)

After so long with no growth, also with the blood ring, those are dead. No need to wait, but due diligence is always a good idea.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Tomorrow morning is Day 14, candled the eggs again tonight!

I saw movement in the first 4 eggs, which I assume means things are good? The last two are pretty clearly nonviable, as I had suspected last week. I didn't put them back in the incubator, do I just toss them in the garbage? How does one dispose of them?

This is my first time hatching eggs. What's the next step? Candle them again before lockdown? Day 18 I remove the automatic turners, up humidity and temp and then wait? Getting super excited here!

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Sorry, I said last two, but it has uploaded them in a different order. The two nonviable are the first and last pictures it looks like. (They are totally clear so I assume this is obvious...)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I didn't put them back in the incubator, do I just toss them in the garbage? How does one dispose of them?

If you sniff them and they do not smell rotten, they are just eggs. You could eat them yourself but I couldn't get past the YUK! factor. So dispose of them as you will. You can toss them in the garbage or scramble or boil them up for your chickens. If I'm turning my compost pile I break them and bury them deep in that to keep them away from critters.

This is my first time hatching eggs. What's the next step? Candle them again before lockdown?

If you wish. Candling them has no effect on whether they hatch or not, that's just for your information.

Day 18 I remove the automatic turners, up humidity and temp and then wait?

I up the humidity and remove the turners. Not sure why you want to up the temperature? In a still air I could see lowering the temperature a bit of you are positioning them lower in the incubator for hatch but why up the temperature?

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Tomorrow morning is Day 14, candled the eggs again tonight!

I saw movement in the first 4 eggs, which I assume means things are good?

The last two are pretty clearly nonviable, as I had suspected last week. I didn't put them back in the incubator, do I just toss them in the garbage? How does one dispose of them?

I put mine in the trash

This is my first time hatching eggs. What's the next step? Candle them again before lockdown? Day 18 I remove the automatic turners, up humidity and temp and then wait? Getting super excited here!

I candle last on day 17, but you can also candle right before you take the turner out and put them right in for lockdown.
Congrats on the embryos developing! They look great and you are doing a great job!

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

If you sniff them and they do not smell rotten, they are just eggs. You could eat them yourself but I couldn't get past the YUK! factor. So dispose of them as you will. You can toss them in the garbage or scramble or boil them up for your chickens. If I'm turning my compost pile I break them and bury them deep in that to keep them away from critters.


If you wish. Candling them has no effect on whether they hatch or not, that's just for your information.


I up the humidity and remove the turners. Not sure why you want to up the temperature? In a still air I could see lowering the temperature a bit of you are positioning them lower in the incubator for hatch but why up the temperature?

First time hatching so I just got confused for a second! I won’t up the temperature.

I also want to thank you for all your help with this process!