Candling photos and stages of development- info compilation (pics!)

[Chicken0Boy]

This thread is some what old, but I have a broody hen and she has been sitting on some eggs. I am very confused about how to candle eggs. All the hens in ym coop keep laying eggs and she keeps getting them to sit on. I candled some here eggs and none of them have veins but more of a big dark spot, they are heavier than my normal eggs...should I let her hatch these (are they hatchable because of the big dark dot) or should I just buy some hatching eggs? Oh, and she is a silkie and this is her first brood if that means anything. I will try to get some pics up tomorrow if possible! Thanks

 

[Amigatec]

I have 12 eggs in the Bator and I am on Day 12, I have 1 that is mostly clear, but I can see a dark spot toward the top, it covers about 1/4th of the top. The rest are almost completely dark. Is this a dead chick??

 

[ducklady-1]

My two farm dogs brought home what I beleive are Goose Eggs about 8 days ago. One of the eggs smelt terrible and started leaking. I threw it out already. The other one seems to have one hard part but when I candle it, I turn the egg and the liquid turns with it. Is my egg dead? Please help. I don't want to throw it out in case there is life in there.

 

[Mrs MIA]

That doesn't sound like a viable egg... there shouldn't be any liquid moving around...

 

[ninnyeggs]

this is a great thread! i have 6 silkie eggs in the bator at day 9 and i dont know if my light is not bright enough or they are duds. its dark on most of the egg but i cant see anything other than that

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
At day 9 there still isn't a whole lot of chick in there, so it should be mostly clear with a small dark blob floating around. I'm sorry this is so late... hopefully you found a brighter light to candle with...

I hope people will continue to add their candling photos, and photos of their candlers... homemade or storebought. My favorite was my husband's 2 million candle power spotlight, with the coffee can retrofitted for intense candling without the heat. I could see into Marans eggs at day 7 and see the embryo with that light. Sadly, it gave out on me and I haven't found another yet.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
I'm not sure why I missed these posts... I'm so sorry, and hope you were able to get answers!

I think I'm going to try to get my son to help make a short video on how to candle the eggs... take some of the mystery out of it.

It's helpful to separate a broody from the other birds... give her her own kennel/cage, to keep other girls from laying more eggs in her nest and prevent them from possibly harming the chicks when they're hatched.

When in doubt, if the egg is not smelly or weeping, leave it in the nest. Mark it with a "?" or some mark and check it again in a few days to see if you notice any changes. No changes might mean it quit. I've been surprised before with eggs that I thought had quit, and wound up hatching.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Most likely... I'm sorry.

As in the previous post, mark it, and check it again in 5-7 days to see if there are any changes. But if it's black, and doesn't move at all, then it likely quit.

 

[Daloorashens]

very helpful, THANKS!!

 

[Orchard Farm]

i love to candle eggs for visiting school groups...they love it!