Incubating Araucana eggs....hard to candle.

[newbiejones]

We are incubating 20 araucana and 20 red sexlinks. Its day 7 and we candled them tonight. The araucanas were really dark and we couldn't see much on a lot. A few looked good though, maybe 4 and the rest we couldn't tell because they are so dark and the shells are thick. The sexlinks were good I believe except 6 weren't fertile. A few of them did have a red ring around them but it was all the way around about half way up the egg shell so we left them because we weren't for sure if it was just normal development or bacteria.
Any suggestions on candling the araucanas??


Thanks in Advance

 

[Ravynscroft]

We are incubating 20 araucana and 20 red sexlinks. Its day 7 and we candled them tonight. The araucanas were really dark and we couldn't see much on a lot. A few looked good though, maybe 4 and the rest we couldn't tell because they are so dark and the shells are thick. The sexlinks were good I believe except 6 weren't fertile. A few of them did have a red ring around them but it was all the way around about half way up the egg shell so we left them because we weren't for sure if it was just normal development or bacteria.
Any suggestions on candling the araucanas??


Thanks in Advance

If they don't smell, leave them... lol... they are extremely hard to see and I've tossed a couple of good ones on accident... just be prepared, they are notorious for not hatching even when they fully develop... I just leave them in unless they smell bad... always pull a stinker, lol... good luck!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Oh, and for candling them I use an 18v DeWalt work light... works pretty good...

 

[newbiejones]

My husband is going to make us a candling box to use bc we had such a hard time with the flash light. I was thinking maybe we should do the floating test? Can you do that early on do you know? & dang I didn't know they were so hard to incubate and hatch or I wouldn't have said ok do getting them. This was all my husbands idea. lol

 

[Ravynscroft]

Float test only works once they are close to hatch, you will be looking at the surface of the water for ripples to show from chicks moving in the shell... Yeah, they are very difficult, but so worth it!

 

[newbiejones]

What is up with this egg?

 

[Ravynscroft]

What is up with this egg?

That is the start of an embryo... the eye, I believe... what day is it on?

 

[newbiejones]

Day 8. It has lots of specks so I can't tell if the veins are developing or not. We made an egg candler. All but 2 of the araucana eggs we still could really see anything. We were able to tell that one wasn't fertile. The rest are super dark which I'm guessing is good. Out of 40 we still have 33 incubating!!

 

[Ravynscroft]

The veins tend to be harder to see, but if that dark spot 'dances' at all you are on track... just sniff the eggs and if one smells really bad pull it... otherwise I'd leave them in, except confirmed clears, and keep your fingers crossed... sounds like you are doing great!!!

 

[newbiejones]

Thanks! Very exciting!!