Egg fertility..

[aurorarose25]

I just got my first batch of eggs in and I was candling them and a couple don't seem right to me.
One egg has what looks like an air bubble that moves when I move the egg, is it dead?
Another has a smaller air bubble that moves also when I move it.
The last one looks more clearer than the others, could it just be smaller than the rest.

The rest look like they have a dark spot in them, the dark spots are about the same size for most of the eggs. So I am assuming they are close to the same age. I don't have my turner yet so when I place them in the bator can I just lay them flat or does the big end have to be higher than the smaller end?

 

[eggsrcool]

I think the eggs with the moving air cell could be ruptured and probably won't hatch. I don't know about the last one though. Someone probably will though. I make sure my eggs have the larger end up during incubation, and it works just fine.

 

[hambone84]

If you havent started incubating them yet, then how are you seeing a dark spot? Are you seeing an embryo or the yolk? Shipped eggs sometimes have air bubbles! Are they shipped eggs?

 

[aurorarose25]

they are shipped eggs, and they are a couple of days I'm assuming. I purchased them on Saturday, she shipped Monday and I got them today. Will the yolks be that dark if they aren't fertile?

 

[Katy]

You can't tell anything about whether an egg is fertile by candling it until the chick starts to form and the egg developes veins. You usually can't see veins until at least day 4 and usually not until day 7.

The air bubbles are from ruptured air cells from being shipped.

 

[americana-chick]

I believe the ones with the "bubble" moving around have detached air cells. they can hatch so just give them a chance

And the other ones sound like they are fertile so just incubate and hopefully some will hatch

 

[aurorarose25]

thanks all for the help. I will try and pray and cross my fingers.

 

[hambone84]

Again there is no way to tell if the eggs are fertile if you havent started incubating them yet...Just put all of them in and candle on day 7 or 10 and if you see development great! If not then you can make a choice to keep them in or discard...