How Soon Can You Candle An Egg?

[citychickinthecountry]

What's the earliest you can candle an egg to see if it's fertile? I am pretty sute that you can see at 3 days, but can you see any sooner? From what I read in the wonderful book co-written by the co-founder of BYC, you can see the chick developing at 3-days, so I'm hoping that at about 24 hours after an egg is laid, you can candle and see something.

 

[Sillystunt]

did you test any before? I always crack on to test them for the bullseye.

You really don't want to handle them until 7 days for they are fragile.

PATIENCE................

 

[citychickinthecountry]

I've candled some a long time ago, so I know how to do it. The reason I am asking is that I have a Silkie male that I've seen mounting one of my non-laying hens. I have not seen him mounting one of my three laying hens yet and I was just wondering if he's possibly fertilized their eggs or not.

Since I'm so frustrated with getting all these roosters (check out some of my other posts) and I REALLY wanted more hens for eggs, I thought I might let my laying hens hatch some eggs and see what comes out. I can always take any roosters to the local swap or The Ranch and sell them or give them away.

I've got a broody Cochin bantam and a Silkie (both a great mothers, right?).

I have to think long and hard about this whole idea, but it was just a thought for now. ;p Maybe I'll see if I can talk my boyfriend into going up to The Ranch in Waldo next weekend and seeing what hens anyone has up there.

What does "the bullseye" mean? I'm kinda a newbie...I mean, I've only had hens for about a year and I've never hatched eggs.

 

[gryeyes]

The "bulls-eye" is the sign, on the yolk, that the egg has been fertilized. If you crack an egg open and look at the yolk, there is a white spot on it. That spot turns into a bullseye when the egg is fertilized.

Here's a place to start: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

 

[Cluckingham Palace Ranch]

I'm new to this and do NOT want to incubate, or hatch. I'm just eating my eggs myself and selling them. I've been candling them, with my flashlight, right after I collect them from the nesting boxes. But every comment, Google search, and video I see, says to wait 3-7 days before candling them. ????? Is that just if you want to hatch/incubate? I usually candle right away and then put them in cartons, with the larger end down and the smaller end pointing up, that I store on shelves in my spare bedroom. I WAS storing them in the garage refrigerator, but was told not to do that. ??? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm so confused with what the correct thing to do is.

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

I still need to learn patience. I candle on day 2! LOL I try to wait till day 3.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I'm new to this and do NOT want to incubate, or hatch. I'm just eating my eggs myself and selling them. I've been candling them, with my flashlight, right after I collect them from the nesting boxes. But every comment, Google search, and video I see, says to wait 3-7 days before candling them. ????? Is that just if you want to hatch/incubate? I usually candle right away and then put them in cartons, with the larger end down and the smaller end pointing up, that I store on shelves in my spare bedroom. I WAS storing them in the garage refrigerator, but was told not to do that. ??? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm so confused with what the correct thing to do is.

Are these for hatching or eating? Eating eggs are fine to refrigerate and in fact, once they’ve been refrigerated don’t take them back out. It’s just hatching eggs you’re not supposed to refrigerate cause you could kill the embryo. And yes the candling is for hatching eggs too. 3-7 days is just when you can first start to see signs of life and know if they’re developing well. Most people don’t candle eating eggs.

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

I'm new to this and do NOT want to incubate, or hatch. I'm just eating my eggs myself and selling them. I've been candling them, with my flashlight, right after I collect them from the nesting boxes. But every comment, Google search, and video I see, says to wait 3-7 days before candling them. ????? Is that just if you want to hatch/incubate? I usually candle right away and then put them in cartons, with the larger end down and the smaller end pointing up, that I store on shelves in my spare bedroom. I WAS storing them in the garage refrigerator, but was told not to do that. ??? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm so confused with what the correct thing to do is.

You definitely don't want to wash them or put them in the fridge. Store them pointy side down in a carton in room temperature environment. They say that they will last up to 2 weeks until you put them in the incubator but I always do 1 week just in case!