i have eggs that have been set now for 3 days. I have over 40 eggs so i dont want to candle a lot and would like to take the eggs out that are no good sooner then latter. would 3 days be to early to candle? i usually do day 5 or 7 but i usually dont have 40+eggs either and just want things to be easier to handle. any input would be great
Other than a random egg candle now and then to see the development and air sack size I wait to day 10 to candle. Then there is definite definition even in those hard to see into shells. Any signs of stopped growth or clear eggs is easy to determine then, no guess work. Then I candle again on day 18 to cull any other stopped growing eggs.
I just candled two days ago to throw out the duds. That was day 5 for the eggs. You can usually start to see the eye developing and veins. Your plan for 5-7 days is perfect, but I do agree that day 10 is proably best.
i do have some dark brown eggs as well as some ee's i think ill go for day 10 so i can see whats going on with all of them thanks!
At day 10 there should have been enough development for even an inexperienced candler to say, 'Wow! It's alive!!" Before that, and especially for someone's first time, unless you see a blood ring, you still wonder what it is you are seeing or not seeing. I never candle before the 10th day, and sometimes I even wait until day 12. I may or may not candle on Day 18 just at lock-down.
I candle at Day 7 and with a pencil, draw a line along the outline of the air pocket. I candle again at Day 14 and draw a new line. I do it again at Day 18-19, just as they enter lockdown. In this way, I can tell whether the humidity is at the right level and the egg is evaporating on schedule, or whether I should adjust it. Ideally, I should weigh each one, but . . . I need to invest in a good scale.
