how often is it safe to candle?

[thedoors5to1]

how often is it safe to candle your eggs? i've only candled my eggs once since they've been in the incubator which is 10 days, i candled them on the 7th day, which is what day i heard to candle first ( dont remember from where ) i was sort of thinking: day 7, day 14, day 25 (im trying to hatch ducks again)
so how often do you candle your eggs?
thanks

 

[catwalk]

I don't think it's necessary to ever candle. I do it for curiosity and educational purposes, but I'm trying to cut back. I like to at least candle when when I can expect the egg should be full of bird. That way I'm not stressing about an egg that will never hatch. Just make sure that your hands are clean and warm, handle them gently, and don't keep them out long. Good luck!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I am a closet candler.
Gee I candle mine every day and sometimes twice just for fun. They all do great.
I don't keep them out long. I only take out about 4-6 take a peek and then put them in the "maybe" incubator or the "yes" incubator. I keep mine seperate until I know for sure because the yes ones get the closest care. I worry that the maybe's might explode and I don't want that on the good eggs.

 

[giasmom]

I don't usually candle till at least day 10, then again sometimes I forget to do it then. Then again right before lockdown. Thats it for me.

 

[shelleyd2008]

It's not necessary to candle them at all, but if you're like me and need every empty space, I candle mine probably every 2 days after day 5, just so I can take out the clears. Just be sure that you don't turn the eggs when you are candling them, a very early embryo can become entangled in the veins if you twist it every-which-way.

But generally, for chicken eggs candle at day 7 for white or light brown eggs, day 10 for brown or blues, then again at day 18 when you move them to the hatcher (or stop turning).

Are you hand- turning your ducks?? I candled my ducks and geese every day when I was hand-turning, I figured since I was handling them, it wouldn't hurt, right?

 

[thedoors5to1]

yes i am hand turning my eggs, i only have under 10 ducks, and dont want more than 15, so i found it pretty unnecessary to spend 50$(from what i saw) on an auto turner that holds so many, i'd become addicted.
thanks for the input everyone, ive only candled them once, and was just curious as to how often everyone else did, and if you thought it affected them at all by the #of times.
thanks