Candling disappointment day 4

[herwitsend]

I candled my eggs today. We are on day 4 and I am amazed at the beautiful little embryos and clear vasculature I could see in so many of them! This was the only picture I got that turned out.


Anyway, my reason for posting is I have a couple of questions. You can read my entire candling experience on my blog (link in my signature).

1 of the eggs had 2 cracks in the egg that were not visible until I candled it. It looked clear and I removed this one from the incubator.
2 had what I considered to be very distinct blood rings (based on photos I found on the internet- this is my first actual experience with this) and I saw no embryo or vasculature. I also removed these 2 from the incubator.

I wanted to reconcile what I was seeing by candling with what was actually in the egg so I opened the 3 "bad eggs". I tried to get photos, but I couldn't get the camera to focus at all on what I was seeing.

The egg with the cracks that looked clear to me had a nice little embryo and lots of good blood vessels. If the cracks hadn't been there, it would have likely been a lovely little chicken!

The 2 with the "blood rings" made me a little bit sad. Both of them, when opened, looked healthy and viable! The blood rings were actually a circle of blood vessels and in the center of it was heavy vasculature and an embryo. All I could see when I candled them was the ring. It was a dark, heavy line of red and no other blood vessels were visible.

Has anyone else seen what looked like a blood ring that wasn't blood, but blood vessels? Next time, should I wait to candle these blood ring eggs again in a day or 2?

I feel like I just killed 2 chicks that I shouldn't have... they were probably hens, too. Grrrrr!

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

I always wait until 7-10 days to candle. If there are any questionable ones I will put it back and wait another week. There should be no questions after 2 weeks.

I have made the same mistake and cracked good eggs and then felt horrible about it.

Darin

I second the 7-10 day candling. I'd also point out that eggs are often viable for much longer than you'd think if a broody hen gets up off of them. We had a horrific heat wave in 2010 and the buff orpington hen that had been setting the eggs got up to sprawl out on the wire to cool off. She'd been off of the nest for hours when I said to myself "Better get her out of there and chuck those dud eggs." Well, the air had been hot enough to keep them going and I cracked one open to find a wriggling 12-day old chick! I put them in the incubator for a week then slipped them under an EE hen who decided to go broody. She hatched three of the five.

 

[peepblessed]

The good in my whole experience is that we are doing this whole hatching thing as a homeschool project. My kindergartener and I poked around in the remains and looked at the embryo under a microscope. It was really cool to see the blood vessels and the eye.

That's making lemonade out of lemons.

 

[peepblessed]

I candled my eggs today. We are on day 4 and I am amazed at the beautiful little embryos and clear vasculature I could see in so many of them! This was the only picture I got that turned out.


Anyway, my reason for posting is I have a couple of questions. You can read my entire candling experience on my blog (link in my signature).

1 of the eggs had 2 cracks in the egg that were not visible until I candled it. It looked clear and I removed this one from the incubator.
2 had what I considered to be very distinct blood rings (based on photos I found on the internet- this is my first actual experience with this) and I saw no embryo or vasculature. I also removed these 2 from the incubator.

I wanted to reconcile what I was seeing by candling with what was actually in the egg so I opened the 3 "bad eggs". I tried to get photos, but I couldn't get the camera to focus at all on what I was seeing.

The egg with the cracks that looked clear to me had a nice little embryo and lots of good blood vessels. If the cracks hadn't been there, it would have likely been a lovely little chicken!

The 2 with the "blood rings" made me a little bit sad. Both of them, when opened, looked healthy and viable! The blood rings were actually a circle of blood vessels and in the center of it was heavy vasculature and an embryo. All I could see when I candled them was the ring. It was a dark, heavy line of red and no other blood vessels were visible.

Has anyone else seen what looked like a blood ring that wasn't blood, but blood vessels? Next time, should I wait to candle these blood ring eggs again in a day or 2?

I feel like I just killed 2 chicks that I shouldn't have... they were probably hens, too. Grrrrr!

I'm afraid you've learned a very hard lesson. There is no reason to not wait at least 10 days. Cracked eggs can hatch too. You can support the cracks with melted wax or even scotch tape.

 

[herwitsend]

I'm afraid you've learned a very hard lesson. There is no reason to not wait at least 10 days. Cracked eggs can hatch too. You can support the cracks with melted wax or even scotch tape.

Tape! Wow. There is just so much conflicting info out there. Everything I read makes it sound like if you don't get a bad egg out of the incubator ASAP, you are doomed to egg explosions, stinkiness and the rest of the eggs will be killed by gasses coming off of the bad eggs!

Oh well, now I know...

 

[Darin115]

I always wait until 7-10 days to candle. If there are any questionable ones I will put it back and wait another week. There should be no questions after 2 weeks.

I have made the same mistake and cracked good eggs and then felt horrible about it.

Darin

 

[herwitsend]

I second the 7-10 day candling. I'd also point out that eggs are often viable for much longer than you'd think if a broody hen gets up off of them. We had a horrific heat wave in 2010 and the buff orpington hen that had been setting the eggs got up to sprawl out on the wire to cool off. She'd been off of the nest for hours when I said to myself "Better get her out of there and chuck those dud eggs." Well, the air had been hot enough to keep them going and I cracked one open to find a wriggling 12-day old chick! I put them in the incubator for a week then slipped them under an EE hen who decided to go broody. She hatched three of the five.

Oh no! I am glad I didn't crack one open that was so old. I would have melted into a puddle of tears.

I see you are in Va. Old Church in Hanover? I grew up in Hanover (went to Atlee).

 

[FarmGirl01]

You did what most of us have done. If you cull an egg, crack it open. Its the only way to learn. I never cull what I think is a blood ring. I do candle at day 4 or 5 and only throw out the clear eggs. I've yet to experience the cracked egg problem. Not sure what I would do. Seems that wax would be the best fix, not sure.
I candle at day 4 or 5 and again at about 10 or so. Don't really have a set schedule. I also check them before going into lockdown.

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

Oh no! I am glad I didn't crack one open that was so old. I would have melted into a puddle of tears.

I see you are in Va. Old Church in Hanover? I grew up in Hanover (went to Atlee).

Yes! You'd have to be from around the area to know It's fun to hear of someone local on a worldwide forum! I went to Lee Davis many moons ago.

 

[kathyinmo]

I just can't emphasize enough..... leave those eggs alone. You give a good example as to why.

As the posters above have said, there is no reason to be candling before day 10.

Sorry for your experience. Another lesson learned the hard way.