How often do you candle?

[gritsar]

I have eggs under a broody and in the bator right now. Fourteen days to go. I intended to candle tomorrow night for the first time (on this batch), but I stink at candling so I'm considering not bothering. I'd love to have an ova scope but can't justify the high price.

So I'm curious. How often do you candle? Surely I can't be the only one that stinks at candling...or am I?

 

[JulieNKC]

I've only hatched once but I candled every single day.

I was impatient, and wanted to see as much of what was going on as I could. Some of my chicks were half la fleche, so I could see in their white eggs pretty well. Half the eggs were under broodies, half in the incubator (for the first 10 days, then I got a second broody and shoved them under her). I had 11 ou of 12 hatch, one was clear and never developed.

 

[gryeyes]

I HAVE an OvaScope, and I hate to candle, but not because I can't tell what's going on by day 12 or 14. I just don't like to be disappointed, so why experience it twice? First, when eggs don't develop, and second when something doesn't hatch that looked okay when I candled it maybe once.

Often, I'll candle some of the eggs, and vow to keep going until I see a good one.... But if the first few eggs don't look good, I give up. If I don't see a good egg at day 14, the first candling, I still leave 'em all in the incubator.

So, why candle if I'm not removing those that won't develop any more?

So I don't candle now. Except during BYC Hatch Events, when peer pressure gets too ouch for me to resist candling at least at lockdown.

So I voted never.

 

[redhen]

Gritty, what type of flashlight do you use?? I found some that work really well... (little LED ones..)
I never have let a broody hatch..but when i incubate, i candle at like 7 days.... then every couple days after that until lock down time.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Red, I use a small maglite (think cop flashlight) inserted into the end of an empty toilet paper roll.

I couldn't stand it and candled some of the eggs just a few minutes ago. I don't see squat except the air cell.

 

[the Pollo Loco]

Quote:
I'm glad someone else also uses an empty toilet paper roll... I candle at around day 10 and just before lockdown...

 

[ingasmile]

I use the same method. Toilet paper tube, small bright flashlight with (new) batteries. The only egg of my hens that I can't see anything but the air sack is a olive green egg. Her eggs are green all the way through. I have a hen that lays lighter green eggs, and I can see a little more, but the best ones for me are my hen that lays a brown egg, hers are the best for candling.

I candle too much though probably. I start around day 7 and then usually do every couple of days. I take out any clear ones because I don't want a mess in the incubator. I don't do them all each time. Sometimes I just grab one that I know is developing to see it move!

Inga

 

[magicpigeon]

Twice, at day 10 and then again at 17

 

[yinepu]

for the average egg a total of 3 times.. but technically only twice during incubation:


I candle the eggs before i set them in the incubator to check air cells and also to check for any hairline cracks and shell porosity

then i candle at day 7 OR day 10 depending on the type and color of the egg

then I candle at lockdown




after that the only time i candle is if an egg doesn't hatch or if I need to assist a hatch to see where the chick is in relation to the air cell

 

[yinepu]

I have the Ovascope (High Intensity version)..

I LOVE mine

.. especially for quail eggs!