Discouraged in NC

[TheToft]

No piping, No peeping, No Rock-n-Roll at day 21 and 5 hours. I have 22 eggs in the incubator.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Had you candled during incubation? You'd know if things were developing if candled. As for being a little late that's not a problem at all. If your temp a little low it will delay the hatch, one degree will delay by a day or two. The eggs are still viable to hatch up to day 25.

 

[TheToft]

I candled around day 15. Not candling sooner I really do not have a base knowledge of how the chick has/has not developed.

Candling is not something I am very familiar with.

My grandfather raised quail so the whole process of incubating, raising and selling is very familiar to me. My grandfather never candled. So it has something I have never looked into doing.

I have only incubated one other batch of chick myself 11 years ago with much success, incubated 12, hatched 12.

1 had a problem with its legs.

The reason that I candled around day 15 is because someone asked me how the incubation was going. I told the great. They asked me where I got my eggs from and when I told them they said they had gotten 35 eggs from them last Spring and not a one hatched. So I read up on candling a bit to see if I could tell if I had chicks or duds.

I really could not tell from candling (used a roll from toilet paper and flash light) if I had duds or chicks. All eggs are green or brown. I could see air pocket in some of the eggs which looked about right based on the pictures I have seen online. Some of the eggs have a dark area, I am thinking it is the yolk and it has not developed into a viable chick. 6 of the eggs are sizzles and to small to use tp roll and flashlight to candle.

I had not candled prior to day 15 so I have no base knowledge for gauging development or lack of development.

We will be incubating another batch and I am very much interested in learning more about candling. My son and daughter where very much interested when we candled at day 15.

I have read a bunch online, is there one particular online resources that you would recommend as the "Ultimate Guide to Candling". I would appreciate any wisdom you can pass along.

Very disappointed that my incubation may be a dud.

 

[chippysmom327]

That's alright! I had gotten a hen from a breeder (I didn't have a roo at the time) and the dad was supposedly show quality. So I figured I would save some of her eggs and incubate them. It was an ameraucana and her eggs were blue, so they were really hard to see through. I didn't really get a good candle. I waited and waited and on Day 23 I opened the eggs. Every single one was infertile. I had a dozen incubating. A 0% hatch.

The moral of the story is: Get more eggs and try again. My next hatch, I got eggs from a lady on here and had a 86% hatch. 15 eggs, and 13 hatched. So you just have to keep trying.