Candling Turkey Eggs...anybody with pics???

[kare21162]

I had 16 Eastern turkey eggs, but now I'm down to 13 because 3 of them didn't have a developing chick inside. My curiosity got the best of me and I had to crack them open! I was relieved to see that they didn't have a developing chick! I would have felt awful if I would have been wrong. The only thing I can see in the eggs is a big dark mass! I don't see any veins! I'm just using a little flashlight for this and I don't think that it gives enough light. These eggs aren't dark, they are a very light brown with little brown spots. If anybody has any turkey egg candling pictures please post them. This is my first time doing this and I really don't know what to look for. I haven't been able to find a site that deals with candling turkey eggs, so I know what I'm supposed to be seeing at that day of incubation. I'm going to try it again tonight (day 10-11). Any kind of help or information would be very, very, very helpful. Any advise is good advise!!!

 

[kare21162]

Ok, anybody with any kind of candling pictures would be nice or any advice! Please!!!

 

[PearlD]

Here's a couple of sites I have used:
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Avian/pfs32.htm

http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2007/05/stages-of-chick-embryo-development.html

Hatching Turkeys can be a challenge. After the breeze of hatching chickens, turkeys can be a pain. But very rewarding, too!! I use a bator with turner and fan and have much better hatches than with still air. Today completed my first ever 100% hatch!!

Things I have learned with turkeys:

1. They are hard to candle before 10 days. Be patient!
2. There is always 1-2 eggs that refuse to hatch until day 30. These usually die(for me anyway) for some reason. They seem to not fully absorb the yolk, they die a few days later. Go figure?
3. Don't open the bator during the hatch! Even when the turkey babies are running from egg to egg looking for where the 'peeps' are coming from. Eggs that get rolled around will usually still hatch okay.
4. Keep them in the brooder a little longer than usual. Turkeys get chilled really fast, even those that are several weeks old.

Good Luck!!

 

[kare21162]

Thanks for the information PearlD! I candled this morning and had to toss 2 more, they had blood rings, so now there is 11 left. I have the still air incubator, figures! Next time I'll have to buy the fan! I have to candle 6 eggs tonight because I'm not sure on those, but the other 5 I saw a moving embryo!!! YAY!!!