Candling - help please ...

[mangled]

Okay, so I'm on day 12 incubating. I had a heat spike, and thinking I had cooked them, removed them from the incubator and when I opened one, it had a still-alive chick. So, they're all back in the 'bator and tonight I pulled them to candle.

I have tried candling with our 2,000,000 candle-power spotlight with a towel wrapped around it with nearly no luck, and tonight tried with the Mag-light.

I cannot see at all into the EE eggs. I may as well be trying to look through a golf ball, they're that dark. I can see into the other three, but not well. I'm seeing a nice defined air cell in the three I can see into, and the two BR eggs are half dark. The lighter brown egg just kinda looked like it had a yolk in it. I'm not seeing any "veining" in any of them.

This is my first incubating attempt. Do I just let the EE eggs go and keep my fingers crossed? The 2 that are half-full looking I should assume are good with chicks forming?

And what do you all use to candle?
Thanks in advance-
Em
edited for awful spelling.

 

[MandyH]

I candle with a surefire 6p I think, but they are awful expensive to just go out and buy for candling. i just also happen to hunt, and already had one for a hunting light. The EE eggs are the hardest to see through, but you don't HAVE to see veins for there to be a chick in it. If the egg is "dark" you are seeing chick. Just keep them in there unless they stink or are seeping and see what happens. You can take a heat lamp with a bright bulb and cut a piece of cardboard to fit over it and cut a hole in the center and use that to candle. Just don't leave the egg on it too long because the light is HOT.

Edited to add: Whatever you candle with needs to completely surround the egg so no light escapes around it. If it does it makes it really hard to see no matter how experienced you are at candling. Hope that helps!!

 

[mangled]

Yeah, heat was a problem with the spotlight, as well. So, I can toss the clear looking one? It looks clear except for the yolk at 12 days, so it's okay to go.

I've seen the Surefires. I'd love to have one, but wow, they are expensive. The Mag-light seems okay, maybe one of the new LED ones would be better.

Thanks-
Em

 

[MandyH]

If you candle an egg that is not fertile, it will be a bright orange color. If you see the yolk, you can toss it, especially after 12 days.

 

[mangled]

Thanks so much!

Em

 

[silkiechicken]

I also use a surefire 6p. Have you tried shining the light though where the air cell is? Often that is the best spot to do it.

 

[MandyH]

Sure thing. If you need anything else I can answer jsut email me. I learned the hard way too about candling a long time ago. We have a big creek behind the house that we throw all the bad eggs into so the critters don't come to the house looking for an easy meal. Well me and my hubby were chunking eggs off the bridge that I had candles and said were no good, and then I threw a duck egg and when it hit the ground and busted, a little duck was wiggling inside. It made me sick to my stomach, but from then on out, "if in doubt don't throw it out!!!"

 

[mangled]

Yes, I've been shining the light through the air cell. The EE eggs are just impossible. Do the Surefires penetrate the EE eggs? That's mostly what I'm wanting to get and incubate. I love my EE girl and want more.

I'd buy a Surefire just for that purpose, plus I could get hubby to do it by "selling" it to him as a new toy.

Thanks-
Em

 

[ozark hen]

Em, I just now finished candleing 34 eggs myself with six being E.E.'s and I can't see through them either but I put them back in the 'bator. There is a thread on here somewhere where either Speckled Hen or Miss Prissy posted a link to actual candling pics at day 12 and what you should be seeing. I have only dial up and am now downloading a program so it would take me forever to go do a search for you right now. You can either do it or as soon as my download is finished I will go look it up as I need to have it on my desktop anyway. I am only at day 9 and day 10 on my two 'bators. I have questions myself.

I just use a maglite and it is fine.

 

[MissPrissy]

When using a normal flashlight, even a maglite I can't see very well into even the med dark brown eggs I have. I know I have eggs with lots of veins and I tried using it to see the difference - could barely see veins. Whipped out the surefire -the heavenly music played and the veins glowed through the shells. LOL If you plan to hatch invest in a good light source. I found my surefire G2 on sale in a hunting store for far less than the surefire retail.