First timer, help with candling

[longmomma]

Hello! First timer here, thanks for helpful suggestions on my introduction thread!

We are on day 14 incubating 10 Black Australorp eggs. (mini incubator, turning them 3 times a day by hand)

I am having a little trouble with the candling; I did get a high powered LED flashlight but I am still unsure as to what I am looking at, and the brown eggs don't help. I did see veins in some of them. Some just look like a blob?

Any tips on what I am looking for? And, I read somewhere that if an egg goes bad I need to remove it before it explodes? Is that true? I am reluctant to remove any too early in case they really are developing..

Finally, if I put them in on a Friday, that is considered day 1, correct? So on day 18 I should stop turning and increase the humidity and not touch them again?

Thank you!!

Jessica

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hello! First timer here, thanks for helpful suggestions on my introduction thread!

We are on day 14 incubating 10 Black Australorp eggs. (mini incubator, turning them 3 times a day by hand)

I am having a little trouble with the candling; I did get a high powered LED flashlight but I am still unsure as to what I am looking at, and the brown eggs don't help. I did see veins in some of them. Some just look like a blob?

Any tips on what I am looking for? And, I read somewhere that if an egg goes bad I need to remove it before it explodes? Is that true? I am reluctant to remove any too early in case they really are developing..

Finally, if I put them in on a Friday, that is considered day 1, correct? So on day 18 I should stop turning and increase the humidity and not touch them again?

Thank you!!

Jessica

Welcome to the group!!!

First, when you candle, make sure that you are candling from the air cell end of the egg so the light is shining into the air cell and down in the egg. This will give you a good picture of what is going on. I use this thread to compare to when candling: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation

As for taking eggs out, exploding eggs are not all that common. I do not remove any egg late in developement unless it smells. If it smells, then get it out!!! It's too hard to determine later in teh incubation if they are viable and I killed one one time that I thought was a quitter. No more. After the ten day pulling of the clears, unless I have a stinker, they are in till the end.

Lastly if you put them in on Friday say, 2pm, then day one STARTS Saturday 2pm day 2 Sunday 2PM. You start your count after 24 hours of incubation (regardless of wether they are put in at before noon or after noon.) Day one means that a chick has had a day's worth of devolopment, just like when a baby is born it's not a full day until it's been here 24 hours.

Good luck and if you have questions, we are here to help.

 

[WVduckchick]

I agree with Amy. But I will add if you set on Friday, then day 21 will be 3 Fridays later. Set day and hatch day should be same day of the week. Generally of course. Some may hatch earlier, some later.

And when candling, you start looking for blood vessels and dark spots (eyes look like black dots!). Then you will start seeing movement. I think the best movement happens around days 9-14, when they are big enough to move around alot but not too big that they are taking up so much space and its getting too dark in there to see! Dark eggs are harder to candle too. Have a good bright light and do it in as much darkness as you can. I have one good dark closet I go in...
Good luck, welcome, and keep us posted!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I agree with Amy. But I will add if you set on Friday, then day 21 will be 3 Fridays later. Set day and hatch day should be same day of the week. Generally of course. Some may hatch earlier, some later.

And when candling, you start looking for blood vessels and dark spots (eyes look like black dots!). Then you will start seeing movement. I think the best movement happens around days 9-14, when they are big enough to move around alot but not too big that they are taking up so much space and its getting too dark in there to see! Dark eggs are harder to candle too. Have a good bright light and do it in as much darkness as you can. I have one good dark closet I go in...
Good luck, welcome, and keep us posted!

If I don't wait to candle at night, I go in the closet too..lol

 

[longmomma]

Welcome to the group!!!

First, when you candle, make sure that you are candling from the air cell end of the egg so the light is shining into the air cell and down in the egg. This will give you a good picture of what is going on. I use this thread to compare to when candling: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation

As for taking eggs out, exploding eggs are not all that common. I do not remove any egg late in developement unless it smells. If it smells, then get it out!!! It's too hard to determine later in teh incubation if they are viable and I killed one one time that I thought was a quitter. No more. After the ten day pulling of the clears, unless I have a stinker, they are in till the end.

Lastly if you put them in on Friday say, 2pm, then day one STARTS Saturday 2pm day 2 Sunday 2PM. You start your count after 24 hours of incubation (regardless of wether they are put in at before noon or after noon.) Day one means that a chick has had a day's worth of devolopment, just like when a baby is born it's not a full day until it's been here 24 hours.

Good luck and if you have questions, we are here to help.

Thank you!! That link was super helpful. Looks like 4 of 10 are good. 1 week to go!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thank you!! That link was super helpful. Looks like 4 of 10 are good. 1 week to go!