How to Candle Coturnix Quail Eggs?

[Coturnix Quail]

Ok, so I'm incubating seven coturnix quail eggs, and it's been about a week. I wanted to check on how they're doing, but I can't because of how thick their shells are! I did watch a video in a person who said if the egg is clear when you shine a flashlight through it, it's infertile. But if it's dark inside, it's fertile. Is this correct? If so, I only have one fertile egg! I've also heard of putting them in warm water but I'm afraid that'll spoil the egg. Is there any way I can check to see which ones are going to hatch?

 

[minihorse927]

The dark egg or the light shining through is true. If the light shines through it is infertile.

 

[lomine]

At one week you are still going to get light shining through. It won't be till they develop more that it starts to get really dark.

Here is a picture of an infertile egg. You'll notice that the whole egg kind of glows. It has a yellow color to it (the bulb light is white).

Here is a picture of a fertile egg starting to develop. I believe it is at about 5 days. You'll notice that the light still passes through the egg but it is kind of cloudy looking. It also has a pink color to it. This one happens to have a nice visible blood vein but they don't always at this stage.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Ok thanks! Want some pictures?

 

[lomine]

If you want to post some pictures I'm sure we can help you figure out which are fertile and which aren't.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Alright sure! I'll try some the next time I flip them!

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Here

egg 1

egg2

egg3 looks weird

egg4

egg5

egg6

egg7 which are fertile? Thanks.

 

[lomine]

Sorry to say none of them look fertile. Looks like egg two was developing but stopped. The green colored ones are kind of weird; guessing the inside of the shells are colored and not white.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Yeah.. had a feeling about that

Shall I switch them out? It was weird because the first eggs they laid had blood in them and weren't even 1 day in there. I hope I can get at least one fertile egg. How can I get my others to lay eggs too? I only get 3 eggs a day.. Also is there any way I can get my female to be broody? They never sit on the eggs

Thanks.

 

[lomine]

How old are they? Young males need time to get a hang of things and actually fertilize the females. Generally speaking you'll need to wait till they are about 12 weeks.

If they are older and you are in the northern hemisphere it's probably too late in the year for fertile eggs. My breeders are no longer laying and the males stopped mating the females before that. I don't know if artifical light effects this as I don't use it.