I Am An Idiot

[bluey]

The eggs hatched out chicks, so I would have to say that I'm a miserable failure at candling to say the least....

I tried candling at Day 10, 12, and 15 and the eggs were EE eggs (a very pale blue)...

I guess I just have to see it done up close...

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
THANK YOU! I actually feel a lot better now.

We were using a full-sized Mag-Lite, the one that's a couple feet long and weighs a ton. In the dark. With no light escaping anywhere. On day 14. And we saw...NOTHING.

Hmmmm....you know, I haven't tried it with the Q-Beam yet...

 

[Mrs MIA]

:aww Darn those green eggs... hard to candle, just like the quail. You just have to leave them in there on faith, and trust your nose to tell you if something isn't right.
BTW... the coturnix eggs I sent? Hard to candle and actually see something. Just wait until day 10, and any that you can "light up" with your flashlight are clear and can go away. Or, just stop turning on day 14 and leave them all in there. The clears just won't hatch. I always hatch the quail by the seat of my pants... there's no easy way to see clearly until near the end of the hatch.

We've all probably done it... don't beat yourself up over it.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

:aww Darn those green eggs... hard to candle, just like the quail. You just have to leave them in there on faith, and trust your nose to tell you if something isn't right.
BTW... the coturnix eggs I sent? Hard to candle and actually see something. Just wait until day 10, and any that you can "light up" with your flashlight are clear and can go away. Or, just stop turning on day 14 and leave them all in there. The clears just won't hatch. I always hatch the quail by the seat of my pants... there's no easy way to see clearly until near the end of the hatch.

We've all probably done it... don't beat yourself up over it.

On those quail eggs, I am simply going to follow your tips to the letter, and WAIT! The way this hatch is going, if I do get anything, I'll barely have time to clean the incubator before putting the quail eggs in! These chicks were supposed to be OUT by now! ​

 

[Mrs MIA]

 

[Windy Ridge]

Blue and green eggs are actually pretty hard to candle with the lower powered candlers (especially green). I can do it, but I don't see much other than a dark mass, and I'm never very sure of what I'm seeing. A few green eggs I had this last time I simply couldn't see into at all.

The blue pigment in the shell goes throughout the entire shell, while brown is more or less on the surface. When you have blue and brown pigments together (green) it can be quite difficult! My light brown eggs are easiest.

(I've never hatched a white one, though. Give me time!)

I hope your hatch goes well. I LOVE hatching, but I only do it in the spring. The rest of the time, I just dream about it.

 

[snowydiamonds]

My weim grump brought me a loon egg this season and in the process her fang chipped a hole in the egg (green w/black spots) and a bit of blood was coming out- I love loons, beautiful birds, so I put her in a sit/stay and I returned the egg to the nest at the edge of our pond. There were only two eggs, that one and the other, the mama loon was watching us the entire time! The humidity was there, she was there and the next time we went to the cabin & checked the pond, there were TWO babies swimming w/her

And even though I've only tried one hatch and failed miserably, I'd like to warn you I worried too, about low humidity and every book and everyone saying to raise the humidity just before hatch date...I nearly drowned my one and only chick to hatch and must have killed all the others just prior to their pipping, too...(I've got beautiful adult, broody banties now Works much better!

 

[SGM]

Don't feel bad. It happens to all of us.

As to the candling. You need to get s super bright flashlight. I can't candle with dull lights. A very dark room is ideal as well. Right now I'm using hubby's tool flashlight. Has the interchange battery. 18V The front is very wide so I use my hand cupped around the lense and hold the egg where my hand makes a circle. Then I can see into the egg.

I wiggle the egg with my free hand a little till I locate the yolk and then look for red. Older developed eggs are easier to see development in.

 

[MissPrissy]

Those eggs are very hard to candle. I am not even sure how a surefire flashlight would do on them with the highest lumins.

In your still air you want the temps at the top of the eggs to be 101 - 101.5. With the low temps they could hatch a few days late.

I have my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Any progress this morning? Just keep that humidity up and wait. You're gonna have hatches...I just know it!!