Candling pics...help. So many questions.

[luvmychicknkids]

Alright, first this is only day 4. Also, I have never done this and these are the most important eggs in the world to me (last fertile eggs from my now dead rooster). So, I tried to see something. Here is what I got. A bunch of eggs with a large dark spot on the fat end (I mean LARGE) and clear on the pointy end, ONE egg with small veins. Strangest thing is, the only one with veins was refrigerated. I took pics so maybe someone can tell me if there is any hope at all here? I will label each pic.

First, I took one of the eggs I have in the fridge for comparison. This is it. I can see a small air cell in the fat end but it is much lighter and smaller than the dark area in the eggs in the bator.

Next is one of the white eggs but not the veined one.

Next the veined egg (it is really hard to tell on here, but it is a perfect looking small spider thing). It is a white egg, also.

And last one of my dark eggs.

I am not even posting my green eggs. They were impossible to see anything.

Thanks in advance for any help. Oh, and excuse my insanely fancy candeler.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Hi~ first, try candling from the large end of the egg. It will be easier to see. From my humble experience, there is a lot of hope if you're seeing veins at 4 days. I would go ahead and leave them for a few more days, say day 9-10, then candle them again. By then you should start seeing a little peanut in there that's wiggling.

If, at day 9-10, you're not seeing any veins, dark spot... nuthin'... in an egg, you can probably safely toss it - it's not going to do anything. Then, leave them until day 14 and candle again. By then you should be able to see a very large dark mass that is moving periodically.

Check out this site... http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/Embryology/embryophotos.shtml

There are lots of great links and information, plus an egg-cam on their incubator!

Good luck... though I don't think you'll need it... patience is needed more! LOL!

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Good luck... though I don't think you'll need it... patience is needed more! LOL

Alright, where do I buy this patience stuff??? I have never had any!!!! LOL Thank you.

 

[Mrs MIA]

You know, if you ever find a stash of it, would you send some my way?

I'm not sure if you can candle too much (or "love them too much" as my DH says) but a good friend and breeder said that he candles at day 7 and day 14... that keeps the bad ones from 'sploding, and keeps the missus happy. I'm just trying to keep busy so I'm not constantly staring into the incubator willing them to hatch. LOL!

I hope your babies hatch... I'm in the same position. I got 14 rare eggs from a gal, and the very next week her prized rooster was killed by a chickenhawk. I have ONE egg left, they all gave up except that one, and it was due yesterday. I candled it this morning, and I saw movement, and it's all I can do not to stare at it. I peep at the incubator in passing, but I am trying to leave it alone. :| So if you have any patience to spare, send me some?

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Ummmmm....well, considering I was whining at day 2...yes, day 2.....to my husband telling him that I just CAN'T wait 21 days, I think I must not have any patience to spare. Most of the day I can't even look at them for a second, so this time of night, the kids are asleep, the insomnia has me in its grip.....it is just me and my eggs. HELP!!! Yeah, I am sure you can "love too much" but I just HAD to try from the fat end. I tried 3 of the white eggs (not the one I already saw veins in) and saw veins in all 3. I am now wanting to call everyone I know!!!! Surely they wouldn't mind being woke in the middle of the night by a ranting insomniac screaming about eggs with veins????

Good luck with that baby!!! I hope he shows his little face soon!!! I can't imagine how nervous you are with only one left!!!

 

[shmooborp]

omg.. think if u were pregnant! that would be a nightmear compared to 21 days!..lol.. but i also candled at day 4...]\\

have everyday.. and always get same hatch rates.. altho i stop at day 18 so that they can prerpare to hatch..lol but pic # 3 looks the most promising so far.

... it takes a while before you can be sure things arnt fertile.. LOL have fun..

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
OMG... you saw veins in the other 3???

That's awesome! (I'm all puffed up with pride...)

Thank you for the good luck...

for both of us!!!


(ps - here's what a 14 day egg looks like before it hatches...

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Oh wow!!! That pic is just too cool!!!! Yes, so I have now seen veins in all 4 of the white eggs I have (I KNOW it will be MUCH harder on the dark eggs). So, that means all 4 of my white ones have developing babies which would indicate my others do too!!! I just can't believe the difference going from the fat end made. I also put my hands at the base to completely prevent light escaping, which helped too.

As for being pregnant, I have been, 3 times!!! I went insane!!! All three were premature, too. Ranging from a month early to 15 weeks early.....(yeah, he weighed 1 lb 14 oz...tiny) so I guess my kids are as patient as I.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Glad I could help. I'm getting better at it myself. And the brown eggs shouldn't be too hard, if you can get a good seal around the egg so light doesn't shine around it. I didn't have any trouble seeing into my RIR eggs. Marans might be a little harder, because they're SO dark, but not the regular browns.
Now, my quail eggs are frustrating, because I can't see into them one bit! I can't candle them... WAH!!!!

So I just turn them, and ignore them until it's time to put them in the hatcher, I guess...

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

I have been trying to fix the temp since I tried to raise the humidity at about 8. I need some patience too. I am so tired. Isnt it cool to see the veins? I looked at a different egg each day so I didnt bother them too much but could assure myself that they were alive. I dont know how I am going to stand the waiting now! And how I'm gonna keep myself from opening the lid.