Have a real dark egg anyone have suggestions?

[mswendeu]

Oh wow, chicks/goslings and pups! Lucky you!

Don't forget about the ducks Amy

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Don't forget about the ducks Amy

Ohhhh ducks are the cutest!!

 

[WVduckchick]

I made this little candler out of a salt box. With a good flashlight, it works pretty well, and the foam protects the egg. I have a couple pieces of foam for different sized eggs. I also agree with Amy, definitely candle from the air cell end. I think the light projects through it or something. I do look at the pointy end too, because it should eventually fill completely up, but you get the best activity and see the veining from the air cell end. And its just me, but I try to hold the egg upright, the way it sits in the turner, and just move the candler from the top, down the side, to the bottom. And spin the egg, but not flip it over too much. Just me.

I do see some good veining in several of yours, and a few "look" clear from your photos, but you are still early! So give them some time and I think they will be more evident. By the time you see really good veining in some, the clears will be obvious.
I'm a candling addict... Some say its bad to candle too much, others say there is no harm. I try to stay somewhere in between. It may be coincidence (and probably is) but my first hatcher and strongest duckling was the one I candled the most, because it was in the front of the bator.
Best of luck! Keep us posted! Your duckies are adorable!



This is just a non-fertile, store bought egg from my fridge.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm concerned that it sounds like you have 2 staggered hatches going in 2 of those bators. I'm not familiar with them, and don't know their capacity. But, my recommendation is for you to shuffle those eggs around so that you don't have to deal with a staggered hatch. Maybe set one bator up, (when you get close to lock down with the first batch) as a hatcher, and move eggs to that as they reach lock down. Also, I'm concerned about your different thermometer readings. All is well if you know which one is accurate, or how much they are off from being accurate. Thermometer price or brand does not necessarily correlate with accuracy, and a degree or two can make the difference between a successful hatch (good hatch rate with strong chicks that pop out of the eggs without problems) vs a failed hatch (all dead) or poor hatch (prolonged hatch with weak chicks, dead in shell chicks, or chicks born with "issues".) Otherwise, from your candling, I see some good signs of development. Hard to see from a photo though.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I made this little candler out of a salt box. With a good flashlight, it works pretty well, and the foam protects the egg. I have a couple pieces of foam for different sized eggs. I also agree with Amy, definitely candle from the air cell end. I think the light projects through it or something. I do look at the pointy end too, because it should eventually fill completely up, but you get the best activity and see the veining from the air cell end. And its just me, but I try to hold the egg upright, the way it sits in the turner, and just move the candler from the top, down the side, to the bottom. And spin the egg, but not flip it over too much. Just me.

I do see some good veining in several of yours, and a few "look" clear from your photos, but you are still early! So give them some time and I think they will be more evident. By the time you see really good veining in some, the clears will be obvious.
I'm a candling addict... Some say its bad to candle too much, others say there is no harm. I try to stay somewhere in between. It may be coincidence (and probably is) but my first hatcher and strongest duckling was the one I candled the most, because it was in the front of the bator.
Best of luck! Keep us posted! Your duckies are adorable!



This is just a non-fertile, store bought egg from my fridge.

Nice candler. xs 2 on the candling. I at least spot check every night.

 

[lazy gardener]

Nice candler. xs 2 on the candling. I at least spot check every night.

Same here. But, I usually wait until there are no witnesses. At night, after flipping the eggs, and checking the temps, the wood stove, and everything else I can think of to check before going to bed, I take a flash light and do some spot candling right in the egg trays in the bator. Usually, I'm rewarded by some dancing babies. Then, in the morning, after egg care, I snatch an egg, and take it into the bathroom for some candling.... "Hello, My name is Lazy Gardener, and I'm an .... un-reformed egg candler!"

 

[WVduckchick]

Same here.  But, I usually wait until there are no witnesses.  At night, after flipping the eggs, and checking the temps, the wood stove, and everything else I can think of to check before going to bed, I take a flash light and do some spot candling right in the egg trays in the bator.  Usually, I'm rewarded by some dancing babies.  Then, in the morning, after egg care, I snatch an egg, and take it into the bathroom for some candling....  "Hello, My name is Lazy Gardener, and I'm an .... un-reformed egg candler!"

Omg, you need an ECA meeting immediately! (Egg candlers anonymous... I'm a member too!)

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Omg, you need an ECA meeting immediately! (Egg candlers anonymous... I'm a member too!)

Sign me up too!!

 

[WVduckchick]

Sign me up too!!

Yes I think you need to attend too!

(i thought you were a founding member heehee)

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes I think you need to attend too!

(i thought you were a founding member heehee)

I could be!! lol Feed the addiction!!!! lol