Hi everyone!
After a first hatch that can only be described as a shambles (11 eggs set, no candling done, 2 eggs exploding at Day 14, and only 1 live hatch as a consequence) I am trying to learn the errors of my ways with hatch number two!
So far, so good. I selected 10 great looking eggs - they were all of a good, consistent shape, and had excellent shell quality. This is in contrast to last time when I had sausage-shaped eggs, thinner shells, porous shells - you live and learn, lol!
Broody is consistently (obsessively) sitting and today is Day 9, so I decided to candle. However, all of my eggs are RIR eggs and are quite a dark brown. Whilst my torch is pretty good, I couldn't see any of the veins you often see in the white eggs. So what did I see?
* One egg which looked 'empty' but had a red ring around it. I discarded this and smashed it later on - a red blood ring and a yellow yolk, but nothing to indicate development of a chick.
* One egg that looked empty but for a small black spot which was still. This, too, was discarded, and upon smashing I saw a yellow yolk, and a tiny blood clot, and some blood running through the yolk.
* Eight eggs that showed dark-ish blobs which took up about 1/3 the space inside the egg. A few of the dark masses moved, so they got the immediate tick of approval. The others looked the same as those that moved, but I couldn't see clearly enough through the dark egg shells to confirm movement. They got kept as well.
So.......do you think what I'm seeing for Day 9 is about right? Have i kept what could be considered to be 'good' eggs? There is NO stench in the nest like there was last time so I am hopeful that a couple may survive. When should I re-candle (if at all?) I am considering maybe re-candling on Day 18, and then leaving Broody to it from there. I do not touch the eggs other than candling, and even then I wore clean gloves.
I wish I had nice white eggs so I could see the veins!
- Krista
After a first hatch that can only be described as a shambles (11 eggs set, no candling done, 2 eggs exploding at Day 14, and only 1 live hatch as a consequence) I am trying to learn the errors of my ways with hatch number two!
So far, so good. I selected 10 great looking eggs - they were all of a good, consistent shape, and had excellent shell quality. This is in contrast to last time when I had sausage-shaped eggs, thinner shells, porous shells - you live and learn, lol!
Broody is consistently (obsessively) sitting and today is Day 9, so I decided to candle. However, all of my eggs are RIR eggs and are quite a dark brown. Whilst my torch is pretty good, I couldn't see any of the veins you often see in the white eggs. So what did I see?
* One egg which looked 'empty' but had a red ring around it. I discarded this and smashed it later on - a red blood ring and a yellow yolk, but nothing to indicate development of a chick.
* One egg that looked empty but for a small black spot which was still. This, too, was discarded, and upon smashing I saw a yellow yolk, and a tiny blood clot, and some blood running through the yolk.
* Eight eggs that showed dark-ish blobs which took up about 1/3 the space inside the egg. A few of the dark masses moved, so they got the immediate tick of approval. The others looked the same as those that moved, but I couldn't see clearly enough through the dark egg shells to confirm movement. They got kept as well.
So.......do you think what I'm seeing for Day 9 is about right? Have i kept what could be considered to be 'good' eggs? There is NO stench in the nest like there was last time so I am hopeful that a couple may survive. When should I re-candle (if at all?) I am considering maybe re-candling on Day 18, and then leaving Broody to it from there. I do not touch the eggs other than candling, and even then I wore clean gloves.
I wish I had nice white eggs so I could see the veins!
- Krista
