Ella2025's Experiment Broody Hen Hatch-A-Long

[Beau plus penny]

Did you see the attachment?
Here is the photo in case you don't see it. This was bippy when she was young, yes.
View attachment 4215549

bippy is such a cute name

 

[ella2025]

I tried candling just now to test it out.

It's completely dark out and I took my mini flashlight (I don't have an actual candler because I didn't think it would be necessary when I have a perfectly sized flashlight. Well I was wrong because although the flashlight is very bright, it's not nearly bright enough to candle the blue green eggs.

This I believe is #2, aka nutmeg the skedoosh egg, the only green/blue egg I can SOMEWHAT candle. The yolk is completely dark and I can't see the veins in the darkness though. I tried in the evening when it wasn't completely dark yesterday and I saw some nice looking veins, but after the buried under shavings not receiving much heat incident I don't know if it's still alive.

I think this second photo is also egg #2. I can actually see some veins in this photo! But the air cell does look huge to me for day 5. That dark spot under is probably writing and not the embryo but I'm not sure.

Here is the Brahma egg, Basil number 5. I'm starting to have a suspicion that this egg might be from my newly laying Orpington since they both lay roundish pale eggs. It has some hairline cracks too just like #1. No veins and no clear air cell but I can see a dot in the middle which I assume is the embryo? Is it alive? No idea.

All other eggs look something like this :
Impossible to see through. Completely black no matter the angle I turn it at.

What should I do? I know I definitely should buy a candler, but since I live with my parents and they think it's useless and candling is useless () I can't really do that. What else can I try to use? I'll try different times, for example tomorrow evening or early in the morning to see if it's clearer too.

 

[ella2025]

bippy is such a cute name

I know!

 

[GreenJay]

I tried candling just now to test it out.

It's completely dark out and I took my mini flashlight (I don't have an actual candler because I didn't think it would be necessary when I have a perfectly sized flashlight. Well I was wrong because although the flashlight is very bright, it's not nearly bright enough to candle the blue green eggs.

This I believe is #2, aka nutmeg the skedoosh egg, the only green/blue egg I can SOMEWHAT candle. The yolk is completely dark and I can't see the veins in the darkness though. I tried in the evening when it wasn't completely dark yesterday and I saw some nice looking veins, but after the buried under shavings not receiving much heat incident I don't know if it's still alive.

View attachment 4215660
View attachment 4215661
I think this second photo is also egg #2. I can actually see some veins in this photo! But the air cell does look huge to me for day 5. That dark spot under is probably writing and not the embryo but I'm not sure.

Here is the Brahma egg, Basil number 5. I'm starting to have a suspicion that this egg might be from my newly laying Orpington since they both lay roundish pale eggs. It has some hairline cracks too just like #1. No veins and no clear air cell but I can see a dot in the middle which I assume is the embryo? Is it alive? No idea.
View attachment 4215662View attachment 4215663

All other eggs look something like this :
Impossible to see through. Completely black no matter the angle I turn it at.
View attachment 4215664


What should I do? I know I definitely should buy a candler, but since I live with my parents and they think it's useless and candling is useless () I can't really do that. What else can I try to use? I'll try different times, for example tomorrow evening or early in the morning to see if it's clearer too.

After looking at Amazon, candlers aren't much more expensive than a high powered flashlight but you may be able to convince them just to get a brighter flashlight. A good really bright LED flashlight is always useful right?
(1000 lumens?! Ack my eyes!! )

Also, try taping a short piece of a cardboard roll (from toilet paper or paper towels) to the end of the flashlight to set the egg on and keep light leakage down.
(This is when you ruin the nice new flashlight if you use heavy duty tape that never comes off, oops.)

One good point about candling is so you can tell when an egg isn't developing and can remove it before it goes rotten under Bippy. They wouldn't want Bippy to explode a rotten egg....

Hope the suggestions help and don't get me in trouble with your parents!
Good luck with the next candling round!

 

[GreenJay]

Let's grow broody eggs!
go Ginger go!

 

[GreenJay]

Found some articles for you

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/development-of-a-chicken-embryo-day-by-day.72537/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ndler-using-common-household-materials.47700/