How can i tell by candling when to stop rotating eggs

[Janja]

Hello. Some eggs of mine by the day 18 looks quite different from eachother, so i assume if i stop rotating all of them, some will die... It happened last year that i stopped rotating them on day 18 and i waited for them to hatch until 25 days, and nothing. I opened them and saw they were dead chicks. My question is, how do i tell by candling when to stop rotating eggs so i avoid the same mistake?

 

[DemeterAD9]

If they were all started on the same day they should all look about the same, nearly all dark with veins mainly visible near the air cell. If some are looking more empty than others then I would think they are duds. I would double check your temp in different areas to make sure they are incubating at an even temp.
Here’s a couple that are in lockdown now

 

[Janja]

If they were all started on the same day they should all look about the same, nearly all dark with veins mainly visible near the air cell. If some are looking more empty than others then I would think they are duds. I would double check your temp in different areas to make sure they are incubating at an even temp.
Here’s a couple that are in lockdown now
View attachment 4081236View attachment 4081237

Hello! Thank you for your help. May i ask you if this egg is right? Its in lockdown since today, and also moving sometimes. Thank you!

 

[Yardmom]

If going by candling for lock down, Lock down at first internal pip.

It is very unlikely that a lack of turning at the end stage of incubation is what caused the chicks not to hatch.

 

[Janja]

If going by candling for lock down, Lock down at first internal pip.

It is very unlikely that a lack of turning at the end stage of incubation is what caused the chicks not to hatch.

Then why would they die? They were fully grown, and from 50 only 10 hatched

 

[Yardmom]

Without seeing the eggs I really have no idea, but it is not uncommon for eggs not to be turned the last days and hatch fine.
Things to look at for fully formed chicks that did not successfully hatch include humidity (both lock down and early on), temperature through out hatch, genetic issues, etc

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Then why would they die? They were fully grown, and from 50 only 10 hatched

Because your eggs did not hatch until day 25 I would say the cause of so many dead was your temperature being off very possibly your humidity as well. Did you have an analog thermometer and analog hygrometer in your incubator that were pre-calibrated before setting the hatch? Not digital and not the onboard instruments. Turning is most important in the first two weeks and then after that it is not as crucial.

 

[Janja]

Without seeing the eggs I really have no idea, but it is not uncommon for eggs not to be turned the last days and hatch fine.
Things to look at for fully formed chicks that did not successfully hatch include humidity (both lock down and early on), temperature through out hatch, genetic issues, etc

I understand. Ineed i dont know about the humidity back then, but i know for sure that the temperature was right. They looked as if they died before having the chance to break the shell

 

[Janja]

Because your eggs did not hatch until day 25 I would say the cause of so many dead was your temperature being off very possibly your humidity as well. Did you have an analog thermometer and analog hygrometer in your incubator that were pre-calibrated before setting the hatch? Not digital and not the onboard instruments. Turning is most important in the first two weeks and the

Because your eggs did not hatch until day 25 I would say the cause of so many dead was your temperature being off very possibly your humidity as well. Did you have an analog thermometer and analog hygrometer in your incubator that were pre-calibrated before setting the hatch? Not digital and not the onboard instruments. Turning is most important in the first two weeks and then after that it is not as crucial.

I understand, thank you. No i dont have analog instrruments to measure the temperature or humidity. Im still surpised that some eggs hatched back then

 

[Sic]

When using an incubator I stop turning my eggs and into lockdown at day 16. A chicken embryo typically moves into its hatching position on day 17 of incubation. At this stage the embryo positions itself with its head under the right wing and toward the air cell end of the egg. Handling or disturbing around this time can cause the embryo to become malpositioned, leading to difficulties in hatching. I have a 98% percent hatch rate.