Candling Turkey egg help / advice for a newbie

[vtfarmer]

We just got a new incubator (hovabator Genises) which we put our turkey eggs in last Tuesday (plus 4 more as they been laying) We threw one out yesterday because it smelled. I tried candling some of them today but only see a dark spot on the top. Since this is our first time we do not know what we are doing, is it too early to candle them ? Is there a way to tell if they are good without breaking them open ? The first twelve were collected and stored cooled, turned 2 to 3 times a day before we got our bator. The last 4 were put in during the last five days as they were laid and marked with a pencil. Any help / guidence is appreciated.

 

[flocksalot]

I wouldn't candle until day 7 at earliest, so that would be Wednesday. I also put some in the incubator on Tuesday, so I candled a few. You should just be able to see a darker yolk area with the eye barely visible.

I'm curious as to the egg that smelled. Eggs don't rot that quickly, so how old we're they? I wouldn't throw them out or even bother candling until much farther along. I generally don't bother candling until I'm at the end of the hatch, and that's really just to check to see if anything is still alive before I toss them. Never had an egg explode in the incubator.

 

[vtfarmer]

The first twelve eggs were collected aprox 14 days before we got the incubator (almost one per day we are getting) The weather has been cold here so they may have gotten too cold before I collected them. The weather turned mild lately so the newest five should be better.

 

[Arielle]

Turkey eggs take longer than chickens---I look a day 10 and then sort . Also I remember my skill at seeing tiny developing embryo came only after candling many batches of eggs.

Don't be quick to throw out the eggs--I wait until about day 21 to toss clears

 

[vtfarmer]

Ok thanks, all the new ones we been collecting we have been putting a date on them.

 

[Arielle]

Ok thanks, all the new ones we been collecting we have been putting a date on them.

THe most important date is the date they are put into the incubator. I usually write that day on the top, where the air cell is. Collection date goes on the side as it becomes unimportant once it goes into the incubator. Just how I do it---

 

[vtfarmer]

Airelle thank you. Yes I have been dating them when I put them in the incubator. I realize I will need to either buy another bator or make one for lockdown since the hatches will be staggering

 

[Lagerdogger]

Also, you don't need to put them in the incubator right away. You can save them for 15 days or so and put them in at the same time. By doing this, they will all hatch at the same time and be the same size. Just keep them in a cool part of the house and they will be fine.

 

[Arielle]

lol, and remember to turn them.


I have two incubators; one for incubating and one for hatching. Between chickens and turkeys and ducks the days are too difficult to coordinate.

 

[vtfarmer]

Yeh just talked to the wife about another bator. Since we do have turkeys ducks and chickens it will be needed.