candling questions

[Meaola]

Hello all. I just recently joined and this is my first time incubating since I was a teenager some 30 years ago. It is also my first time incubating turkey eggs. I bought shipped eggs and today is day 11 for the Midget Whites. Of 8 eggs, only one is clearly developing..and it was moving this morning when I candled them all. There are several with unstable air sacks and I dont see any veins or anything like development in the other 7. Would you recommend leaving them in for a little longer or is it a pretty safe bet that they are goners? I sure dont want an explosion or anything.

 

[1muttsfan]

By day 10 it should be quite clear which eggs are clear, sorry you do not have more developing - shipping can be brutal on hatching eggs.

 

[feedman77]

I know how you are feeling. Had 18 blue slate eggs shipped earlier in the year. Only had 3 develop and they all died before hatch.

I would probably leave them till at least day 15 just to be sure no late bloomers.

My luck with shipped eggs is terrible 8/54.

Good luck.

 

[Meaola]

Thank you for the replies. I did find someone somewhat local to get more Midget eggs next month. I also got 8 pheasant eggs and 17 Dorking Chicken eggs shipped. The pheasants appear to have 6 of eight developing. They seemed to hold up well shipping. The Dorkings have only been in for 2 days, so I dont know about them yet. However, I wont be doing shipped eggs again. Thankfully, I do have some of our Black Star eggs in with the turkey eggs...so I am hoping to get some babies I have had a heck of a time with the LG's. I have one stil air and one forced air. I took over a week trying to get the temps right before the eggs got here. But, the slightest fluctuation in room temp changes everything. We live in the High Desert so very warm during the day and chilly at night this time of year. I have heard great things about the homemade coolerbators...and we are going to make one for next month's eggs.

Has anyone ever incubated and hatched pheasants here? They are really hard to candle as they get further in the incubation process (at least it is hard for me ) Does anyone have any tips? I dont want to leave bad eggs in...but I can't tell for sure on two of the eggs what is going on in them.

 

[1muttsfan]

While many folks here have LG's and seem to enjoy toying with them, I much prefer a sure thing. While Hovabators are more expensive they take a lot of the worry and loss out of hatching, and are less expensive in the long run than loosing expensive shipped eggs.

While the losses can be great with shipped eggs, they do not always fare badly. I set 28 just over a week ago, and when candled yesterday there was only one clear, which is the best I have every had with shipped eggs. Still 2 weeks to go though! There is no other way this far off the beaten track to get superior genetics, or less common breeds.

 

[Meaola]

That is exciting about your shipped eggs! I hope I don't miss updates at hatching time. I am looking forward to candling the shipped Dorking eggs. (17) that I have in the 2nd incubator, they are now on day 3. I started researching the poultry shows in Ca and found some nice stock, so next time...I will go pick up eggs. Even the lady at my post office was rough with the boxes of eggs when I went to pick them up. It was quite irritating...I guess they don't read the boxes at all! I was really looking forward to the Midgets and spent a pretty penny on the eggs. If i do get the one to hatch...that will be one expensive Turkey. .