*CHICKS are HERE!!!* Egg Candling Pics: Progression Though Incubation

[lazy gardener]

What are you using for a flashlight? Fresh batteries? Are you in a COMPLETELY dark room? No windows, no LED's from electronic equipment? Did you give your eyes time to adjust? Are you blocking all of the light from the flash light, so that no light shines out AROUND the egg? What color are your eggs? Very dark eggs, especially the blues and greens are very difficult to see into. Do you have water in your bator? You might want to drop the humidity down to around 30 - 40% until lock down. Check the air cell size chart in Hatching 101 in the learning center for comparison.

 

[Junibutt]

Amazing photos! Thanks for sharing you time and skills.

My chicken story at top, current question at bottom:

We've had birds n the family since about 1970, when my older brother,with my veterinarian Dad's collaboration, ordered 100 "leftover, various breeds" chicks from Murray McMurray.
20-some different breeds, and Dave and Dad started selecting for a new COLD WEATHER breed.
By hatching 150-300 eggs a year, eating and selling the culls, in about 12 years they had developed and registered STAKOTA chickens breeding true to type. An all purpose bird with Polish topknot, Cochin feather legs and disposition, they didn't mind 40 (sometimes 50) below zero in an unheated barn.
They are, unfortunately, extinct as far as we can tell. The 3 flocks we left with friends in North Dakota fell to mink and weasels mostly. Those we left in Utah a year after Dad died in 1993 also perished, as neither Mom nor any siblings could keep them...
Now setting 44 eggs from our big Nagoya Cochin rooster, and from after and son CHABO (mixed-flock Japanese bantam ) roosters in a homemade styrofoam still-air incubator.
Steady temp (38 degrees C +\- 1 degree) have been ok, but despite a full cake pan of water in the bottom below the screen and adding sponge and rag to it, couldn't get humidity up after I put the paper carton egg holder in.
Wet rags BESIDE the eggs, and closer to the 25-watt bulb, raised it to the 50-60 % range! but the egg holder is damp now.



My question: Is having eggs in contact with a damp carton detrimental?
if so, how else can I keep humidity up ?


Thanks. Joe-in-Japan

dampness on the egg can promote bacterial growth if the eggs had bacteria. But if you don't have any room in the bator, I guess there is no option. Can't you put some sort of shelf liner under the egg holders before wet rag below the shelf liner level? If you have room, you can place a small cup of water to increase humidity.

 

[Junibutt]

Ok so I am trying this dry hatch method but somewhat confused on day 7, I see the yoke in there but don't see any vein like stuff, also only 2 of my 26 are showing an air bubble on top. My room humidity is around 40-50 % and in the bater is showing 32 %...Is this sounding good or bad at this point?

32% is ok for a dry hatch. What side are you candling from? In order to see the air-sac, you need to candle from the round/bigger side. Also did you have eggs shipped to you? If yes, the air sac may have been scrambled. You need to place the eggs upright in an egg carton ( with bottom cut out) for the air-sac to rise up and get fixed.

If none of this is the case, then maybe the eggs did not develop. Candle again on Day 10 after you have eliminated all the factors above.

 

[Williamschooks]

Thanks, Junibutt.
I reckon I'll have space on the upper shelf in a couple of days when I candle and cull. Will try and keep eggs moist but not wet until then.
Days 1-18 should be 50% humidity +/- 5. I'm usually there now, but sometimes 60%

Williamschooks

 

[frizzylizzy2003]

thanks for posting this we used it twice to candle our eggs - how do u no if there are good air cells? also how do you reccomend getting a broody hen to put on weight - it took 5 weeks of broodines and stubborness but we finally gave in and bought her some fertile guinea fowl eggs lol and those 5 weeks have not been kind she is super thin now! HELP!

 

[nesthappy]

Very helpful, as this is my first time, ive one not fertile so its out, im on day 12 not sure if one is a quitter or not no blood line, I've seen movement in the other, so i set 9, still have 8 in my eco mini brinsea manual incubator, so fingers crossed I'll have a few chicks, should i continue to turn 3 times daily until day 18?

 

[hensB4cockerel]

This was very helpful my hen has been laying on eggs for about 3 days with minimal breaks im hoping for some new chicks

 

[sktlmt]

I am on day 19 I candled them on day 17 and all I could see was dark space and an air pocket. I was never able to see veining. I am using a mini flashlight. I candled around day 8/9 and I could see a dark blob in the side but veining was not visible to me. The eggs are brown. I had 2 that were clear on day 17 so I pulled them out. Is it possible that the veining was not visible? I should also mention these eggs started out under a broody hen and she abandoned them after a couple days and I put them in the incubator. They did get cold the night she left them.
I am not holding my breath that any of these will hatch. due to the cold and my inability to see veining. Is there any reason the egg would be dark with an air cell and not be viable? I have only hatched under a hen this is all new to me.
Any info would be helpful. Thanks

 

[ochochicas]

I am on day 19 I candled them on day 17 and all I could see was dark space and an air pocket. I was never able to see veining. I am using a mini flashlight. I candled around day 8/9 and I could see a dark blob in the side but veining was not visible to me. The eggs are brown. I had 2 that were clear on day 17 so I pulled them out. Is it possible that the veining was not visible? I should also mention these eggs started out under a broody hen and she abandoned them after a couple days and I put them in the incubator. They did get cold the night she left them.
I am not holding my breath that any of these will hatch. due to the cold and my inability to see veining. Is there any reason the egg would be dark with an air cell and not be viable? I have only hatched under a hen this is all new to me.
Any info would be helpful. Thanks

If you can't see veining, then your flashlight may not be strong enough. I have a high powered tactical flashlight and can see veining in all but the darkest of my Marans eggs. Not that you need to see the veining, but if you are wanting to see it you might need to buy a different light.

The dark you see in the egg is the chick at day 17. It sounds like your eggs are progressing normally. I wouldn't worry about the cold affecting them since they are still growing after you put them in the incubator. That said, chicks that have had temperature issues during early development sometimes hatch with deformities (beak, leg, etc.) I hope yours don't, but be prepared in case it does happen.

 

[sktlmt]

If you can't see veining, then your flashlight may not be strong enough. I have a high powered tactical flashlight and can see veining in all but the darkest of my Marans eggs. Not that you need to see the veining, but if you are wanting to see it you might need to buy a different light.

The dark you see in the egg is the chick at day 17. It sounds like your eggs are progressing normally. I wouldn't worry about the cold affecting them since they are still growing after you put them in the incubator. That said, chicks that have had temperature issues during early development sometimes hatch with deformities (beak, leg, etc.) I hope yours don't, but be prepared in case it does happen.

Thank you for your response! I had not considered my light was not strong enough. It was from a big pack of small lights and I dug out the package and they have a whopping 24 lumens. So that would explain why I could only see dark blobs. I put the eggs in the incubator on April 25 but I am not sure how long my broody Pip sat on them prior to that. I am guessing they will hatch today or tomorrow. I have seen 4 of the eggs wiggle and I can hear some of them chirping. So cool to be able to see this happening! I can hardly wait to see the little mutts!!!