First round of candling (image heavy)

[ladybrasa]

Hello, I just candled my shipped eggs! I’m fairly confident in determining which are duds and which to continue with, but would feel better about removing eggs if others gave input. Also any input about the air cell size would be great! I have three separate batches shipped from different places, set not more than 2 days apart. The incubator is one I diy’ed (see here).

First batch is three lavender Orpington eggs which, in my inexperienced opinion were poor quality - large air cells completely detached and too dirty. After setting there was an off odor in the bator and gnats appeared ... I got very worried and wiped the two dirtiest with a Clorox wipe, which isn’t the worst thing if you have to clean an egg. Smell and gnats disappeared afterwards. (Gnats returned a few days later but just seem to be attracted to the light and warm, then die in the water for humidity). Anyway, here are candle pics of the three eggs. Set mthree look like they never started. Dark material settled in the bottom:

LV#1

LV#2

LV#3

The second batch I received was a “variety pack” of rare breeds. Ordered 6, got 9. As far as I could tell, eggs in great shape and fresh. Air cells attached if just a titch jiggly. These came from almost cross country. Minimal dirt/pretty clean. They are two BLRW, two Quail Brabanconne, two Swedish Flowers, two Pavlovskyas, and DSL Barnevelder. These were set on the 10th evening. Most have embryos dancing around! It looks to me two have blood rings and one is a yolker.

BR1

BR2

W1 (blood ring)

W2

F1

F2

PV

PV2

SB (yolker)

Last batch are 5 plus one extra Mosaic eggs. Minimal dirt, air cells attached but just a little shifty. Possibly saddled? I’m not really sure. All six appear to have veins. I wasn’t able to see an embryo on most. Set on the evening of the 12th.

M1

M2

M3

M4

M5

M6

 

[MGG]

Don't pull any yet, except the 2 blood rings. I just kinda skimmed them since I have to go, but most look really good. Don't pull any eggs until day 14.

 

[tielie135]

if it were me i would huck LV 1 2 and 3. w1, pv, and sb. it is up to you though. generally if you can smell it and it attracts things it is best to chuck. if you are not sure i would wait till day 14 to know for sure. the blood ring ones should go now though.

 

[ladybrasa]

Oh I don’t plan on tossing until I get a collection of opinions!!

 

[Kiraeh]

I think your assessments seem correct. Keep em till day 14 to be sure, there could be a surprise in there(blood rings can go right away). Are you going to break them open? Understandable if you don't want to, but you can learn a lot.

 

[Trisseh]

X2 on everyone saying pitch the lav orps and obvious blood rings and check everyone again at 14 days. sometimes the clear looking ones surprise you, especially if you have warm and cool spots in your bator. The only other one that looked questionable to me from the pics was the F2 egg but that could just be the angle in the pic. If you see an embryo bouncing in there it should be fine. The veins just look streaky in the pic.

 

[ladybrasa]

Are you going to break them open? Understandable if you don't want to, but you can learn a lot.

Ehhh ... I know it would be very educational, but not sure if I can do it ... also worried my overactive head would start thinking of eggtopsies while eating eggs ... already not a fan of runny eggs to eat ... (incidentally, loved a runny yolk as a kid but somewhere along the way the idea of it got off-putting)

there could be a surprise in there(blood rings can go right away).

Please explain? I haven’t encountered this on the ‘net yet. Do you mean that a blood ring doesn’t always mean a dead egg, or that The ring will just eventually dissolve or something?

sometimes the clear looking ones surprise you, especially if you have warm and cool spots in your bator.

How so? Is there a chance SB might not be a yolker? I’ve got the thermometers spaced pretty well and they all seem to more or less agree on temp around the bator. What I can do is flip around the cartons they are in. At present SB is closer to the bulbs, but can flip so that it is farther?

The only other one that looked questionable to me from the pics was the F2 egg but that could just be the angle in the pic.

Hmmm, will definitely double check tonight. I remember seeing something of the embryos in most, but will make sure I see something in that one.

Thanks for the commentary!!

 

[Kiraeh]

No no I mean the blood ring is definitely not going to change, but it's possible the others could hide development.

 

[wyochick10]

What are you using to candle with?

 

[Trisseh]

I’ve had some that appeared clear that started development late, usually more so with my duck eggs or with eggs that were of questionable age, but there was an Icelandic egg I had in my last batch that was a good 3 days behind everyone else for no apparent reason. That one wound up being a late quitter anyways but always a good idea to wait if it otherwise looks ok.

In this batch that I have in the bator now, there’s a Legbar egg that I almost tossed because it had a bad air cell and didn’t look like much was happening in it on day 7. We’re at the cusp of day 14 now and it’s got a big healthy embryo in it now. I think it was hiding under the wonky air cell.