candling is making me crazy

[ejstoner]

This candling is making me crazy. I know that it probably takes time to know what you're doing. I can tell the non fertile eggs but others appear to be all blackm inside except for the air sac, which is quite large. these are brown eggs, I was able to see movement in one egg quite clearly, but the rest appear to be mostly a large black mass. Im going crazy. Its day 12

 

[hobbychick]

I know how you are feeling. I am new at this to and it is hard not to panic. There are alot of good candling threads on here just go to search and search candling. I learned alot. I am on day 16 and I still have trouble telling what is going on. I can still see movement and veining in my eggs. Don't worry.

 

[OCchickens]

Candling from the air cell end (holding the egg horizontal) up against the air cell you can usually nice nice, distinct vein development as the chick grows into the 2nd & 3rd week, and I think that's a good sign. It's normal with dark eggs to have the rest look like a dark mass.

 

[Huny]

I have an awesome flashlight that takes 123 batteries and is so bright!....For about an hour. Then the batteries are dead. And trust me, candling 50 eggs, an hour is nothing. And the two batteries cost 10 bucks! I am frustrated because I can't see movement in my day 16's and can't tell if it's the other flashlight (that's not as bright) or if something happened.

 

[MandyH]

The black mass you are seeing is the chick. If you are going to be hatching frequently it will pay in the long run to have a GOOD candling light. I use a surefire 6pl flashlight, it runs about $85 at Lowe's but will shine thru a brick. You can also use the search function and look up homemade candlers. Until you candle SEVERAL eggs and learn what they look like at different stages, it IS hard to tell.

 

[freddy22]

if your eggs are darker then there is a good chance something is in there no matter what other people claim....it is when it is see through that it is a dud...i have kept records of al my hatches, and i always candle day 5 & day 14 and one more later date closer to hatch, but on day 5 the eye is usually very easy to see...but by day 14 when that body is starting it is rare to find the eye back because it is starting to move to the exact center of the egg....

 

[needtohatch]

I have brown eggs on day 14 now and some I can see really good and as soon as the light hits them and other I have to look at for 2-3 min before I can tell. I also have battery issues, I have to change the AA in mine about every 5-6 eggs

I want a better light next time around! It is a lot easier to see if you shine the light throught the air cell. Also try turning the egg slowly and carefully as you shine light down through it. Sometimes on the really dark ones I have to turn it a few times ( I think the chick is playing hide and seek

)!

 

[ejstoner]

Does anyone know how to make a really good candler? I thought the one I made was going to be great, but I see better with a maglite and a toilet paper roll taped to it. But still cant see well enough.

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
I couldn't agree with you more... I started driving myself crazy over analyzing the state of the eggs last year when I realized it really doesn't seem to matter!

Yes that's right.. I check them.. if they aren't clear or I see some kind of vein or mass.. I'm happy! That's enough for me. Takes me about 2 minutes to candle a bator full of eggs cuz I only take a quick glimpse!

My eggs aren't too dark... but if someone wants to magnify the light they already have how bout lining that toilet paper roll with aluminum foil first to amplify the lumens.

I use a bedside lamp and a 60 watt bulb..

added.. my candle machine

I usually wrap a dark towel or something around the shade so only light comes out the top but that's it. simple

 

[Akane]

I've bought several of the flashlights people have mentioned and what works best is actually my $15 3 led flashlight from walmart. I've got maglights, a 10 led flashlight, and various others but really there isn't a huge difference. The best suggestion is to candle through the air cell and look at the edges of it. That's how I did the quail eggs. You may not see anything through the rest of the egg but out of 200 eggs there were only 5 I couldn't tell if there were veins along the air cell. If there are veins the chick has at least been alive in the past couple days because when they die all the blood drains out to form the blood ring. You can also try using 2 flashlights. That worked on some very large dark brown eggs I had. Set the egg on one flashlight and then spot light the sides and top with a smaller one.