Is this a fertile development or are we seeing things?

[Ridgerunner]

The color of the eggshell, how dark it is when and where you candle, and the strength of your light can affect how well you can see. Experience helps too. Especially in white eggs some people can easily see development by day 3. Light brown eggs aren't too bad. With my dark green eggs I have trouble seeing much detail at any time.

Don't get too worked up about details. It's fun if you can see details but early on if you see veining it is developing. To me that's enough. When I go into lockdown I'm mainly looking for a dark blob and the air cell. If I see any movement at all that's a bonus. Until you gain some experience don't make dramatic drastic decisions based on candling. Sometimes you get surprises.

 

[ShawFarmers]

The air cell doesn't look too big. It may change close to hatch when it begins to draw down. See how it goes.

As for the others, it'll be much clearer around day 10, by then you'll know for sure if theres life growing.
Good luck!!

Okay awesome

 

[ShawFarmers]

The color of the eggshell, how dark it is when and where you candle, and the strength of your light can affect how well you can see. Experience helps too. Especially in white eggs some people can easily see development by day 3. Light brown eggs aren't too bad. With my dark green eggs I have trouble seeing much detail at any time.

Don't get too worked up about details. It's fun if you can see details but early on if you see veining it is developing. To me that's enough. When I go into lockdown I'm mainly looking for a dark blob and the air cell. If I see any movement at all that's a bonus. Until you gain some experience don't make dramatic drastic decisions based on candling. Sometimes you get surprises.

Thank you! Yeah the only fear I have is exploding eggs? Will duds explode if I leave them in there the full 21 days? My eggs are blue so unfortunately as you said with the green eggs, it’s so hard to see! We are also just using a basic flashlight my husband kind of rigged with a paint can lid and electrical tape so nothing super bright or spectacular. We are definitely hopeful but nervous we will lose them all. Another thing we are curious about, we read that bantams hatch closer to day 18-19 but we have a bantam roo and standard hens. We know the eggs get fertilized because we are the bullseye every morning for breakfast. Anyways, when does lockdown happen for bantam/standard crosses? Thanks for your help!

 

[BelovedBirds]

Thank you! Yeah the only fear I have is exploding eggs? Will duds explode if I leave them in there the full 21 days?

Its possible, that they can explode yes. But this doesn't always happen, and you wont need to leave them in for the whole 21 days. By day 10 it will easier to know which are alive and which aren't. The chicks will start to fill up the shell and by lockdown it'll be crystal clear, even with a thicker/darker shell. Its a process, keep candling every few days, and toss eggs out once you can confidently confirm they're duds. If there are any you absolutely cant see into, then just leave them in, its unlikely they'll explode, and even when they do, you should notice them start to smell and crack before this happens. It can be avoided.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah the only fear I have is exploding eggs? Will duds explode if I leave them in there the full 21 days?

If bacteria gets inside any egg it can go bad, whether it is developing or a dud. If bacteria does not get inside, the egg will not go bad. Whether it is a dud or not has nothing to do with it possibly exploding.

Incubation temperature is the perfect temperature for bacterial growth so if bacteria gets inside expect it to multiply. Those don't always explode, they can seep a foul smelling liquid. You can usually smell if an egg is going bad before they start seeping or explode if you sniff them. That rotten egg smell is pretty horrible.

The vast majority of duds or developing eggs under a broody hen do not go bad. The vast majority of duds or developing eggs in an incubator do not go bad. The bloom is extremely effective in keeping bacteria out. The best way to prevent seeping or exploding eggs is to leave the bloom intact. Don't wash or sandpaper the eggs. Don't set dirty eggs. A light dusty "soil" is OK but clumps of dried poop or mud can give bacteria a route inside. And keep your hands clean (especially not oily) when handling the eggs.

When an egg goes bad it is bad. That rotten egg stink is horrible. If any of that gets on another egg it can and usually does infect it. It can ruin hatches. I don't take it lightly but the only time that has ever happened to me was when an egg broke under a broody hen and the egg material contaminated the other eggs. That was a ruined hatch. The only time I remove any eggs from the incubator is when I candle them just before lockdown. The only ones I remove then are the ones that are totally clear, have no chance. That's not because I'm worried about them going bad, that's just to make more room in the incubator for hatch.

I don't set dirty eggs and I don't compromise the bloom. I understand an egg can go bad but it's not something I worry about.

we read that bantams hatch closer to day 18-19 but we have a bantam roo and standard hens. We know the eggs get fertilized because we are the bullseye every morning for breakfast. Anyways, when does lockdown happen for bantam/standard crosses?

I don't keep bantams, but if I did I'd go into lockdown with bantam eggs at the standard time for chicken eggs until they proved to me that they do regularly hatch early. I've read that they can possibly occasionally might sometimes hatch early, not that they always do. I hatch different sized dual purpose eggs and have paid attention to size and when they hatch. Size has not been a factor with my eggs. If you want to lockdown bantam eggs a day early you can, it probably won't affect the hatch. That way you can determine for yourself if yours do actually hatch early. My dual purpose eggs often hatch early, not because of size but because of heredity. Whether they are in my calibrated incubator or under a broody hen they are often two full days early.

Besides, that bantam rooster has nothing to do with when the dual purpose eggs hatch. He doesn't have anything to do with what size eggs that dual purpose hen lays. His genetics will affect what his daughters' eggs do, but mating a hen does not affect any of that with her eggs. Treat them like what they are, dual purpose eggs.

 

[ShawFarmers]

If bacteria gets inside any egg it can go bad, whether it is developing or a dud. If bacteria does not get inside, the egg will not go bad. Whether it is a dud or not has nothing to do with it possibly exploding.

Incubation temperature is the perfect temperature for bacterial growth so if bacteria gets inside expect it to multiply. Those don't always explode, they can seep a foul smelling liquid. You can usually smell if an egg is going bad before they start seeping or explode if you sniff them. That rotten egg smell is pretty horrible.

The vast majority of duds or developing eggs under a broody hen do not go bad. The vast majority of duds or developing eggs in an incubator do not go bad. The bloom is extremely effective in keeping bacteria out. The best way to prevent seeping or exploding eggs is to leave the bloom intact. Don't wash or sandpaper the eggs. Don't set dirty eggs. A light dusty "soil" is OK but clumps of dried poop or mud can give bacteria a route inside. And keep your hands clean (especially not oily) when handling the eggs.

When an egg goes bad it is bad. That rotten egg stink is horrible. If any of that gets on another egg it can and usually does infect it. It can ruin hatches. I don't take it lightly but the only time that has ever happened to me was when an egg broke under a broody hen and the egg material contaminated the other eggs. That was a ruined hatch. The only time I remove any eggs from the incubator is when I candle them just before lockdown. The only ones I remove then are the ones that are totally clear, have no chance. That's not because I'm worried about them going bad, that's just to make more room in the incubator for hatch.

I don't set dirty eggs and I don't compromise the bloom. I understand an egg can go bad but it's not something I worry about.


I don't keep bantams, but if I did I'd go into lockdown with bantam eggs at the standard time for chicken eggs until they proved to me that they do regularly hatch early. I've read that they can possibly occasionally might sometimes hatch early, not that they always do. I hatch different sized dual purpose eggs and have paid attention to size and when they hatch. Size has not been a factor with my eggs. If you want to lockdown bantam eggs a day early you can, it probably won't affect the hatch. That way you can determine for yourself if yours do actually hatch early. My dual purpose eggs often hatch early, not because of size but because of heredity. Whether they are in my calibrated incubator or under a broody hen they are often two full days early.

Besides, that bantam rooster has nothing to do with when the dual purpose eggs hatch. He doesn't have anything to do with what size eggs that dual purpose hen lays. His genetics will affect what his daughters' eggs do, but mating a hen does not affect any of that with her eggs. Treat them like what they are, dual purpose eggs.

This was seriously so helpful! I don’t know why we didn’t think about the fact that they are regular eggs haha. I think we got so in our heads with the baby we started playing those genes into our current hens egg. thank you!

 

[ShawFarmers]

UPDATE: little pumpkin is growing away and was a little wiggle worm tonight! Day 13, little giant candler and it is a blue egg. I would post the video but it won’t let me plusssss I sound ridiculous talking to my husband about the candler haha! Anyways, the rest of the eggs we pulled yesterday with no development, cracked them and sure enough, no development in all 9, minus one we think probably died at day 2/3. So now we have a lonely chick with no chicks around here to purchase! Any ideas to help him or her out would be great.

 

[NatJ]

the rest of the eggs we pulled yesterday with no development, cracked them and sure enough, no development in all 9, minus one we think probably died at day 2/3.

Yes, cracking the duds is a good way to be sure you were correct.

So now we have a lonely chick with no chicks around here to purchase! Any ideas to help him or her out would be great.

You might be able to order some chicks from a hatchery, to be shipped at about the right time. I think Ideal and McMurray are still shipping some breeds, and probably a few other hatcheries are as well.

Or you can read up on raising a single chick. It is not ideal, but it can be done.

Whether you raise a single chick or several, you might try a brooder in the coop. Here's an article from someone who did that:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
It might be especially helpful if you are raising a single chick, because then the chick could see the adults instead of being completely alone. And of course early integration also reduces how long it is alone.

 

[ShawFarmers]

Yes, cracking the duds is a good way to be sure you were correct.


You might be able to order some chicks from a hatchery, to be shipped at about the right time. I think Ideal and McMurray are still shipping some breeds, and probably a few other hatcheries are as well.

Or you can read up on raising a single chick. It is not ideal, but it can be done.

Whether you raise a single chick or several, you might try a brooder in the coop. Here's an article from someone who did that:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
It might be especially helpful if you are raising a single chick, because then the chick could see the adults instead of being completely alone. And of course early integration also reduces how long it is alone.

Okay sounds good! When we called the hatcheries they said they don’t have chicks in small numbers without a hefty fee. It’s very cold here right now, is it still okay to put the brooder outside? Maybe I could do it just like for an hour with the lamp still obviously so he/she knows chickens?

 

[NatJ]

Okay sounds good! When we called the hatcheries they said they don’t have chicks in small numbers without a hefty fee.

Oh, I forgot about the numbers. Yes, shipping larger numbers (15-25) is much cheaper & easier because the chicks keep each other warm.

It’s very cold here right now, is it still okay to put the brooder outside? Maybe I could do it just like for an hour with the lamp still obviously so he/she knows chickens?

The outside temperature doesn't matter much. What matters is whether the brooder is the right temperature. You could set it up now, before the chick hatches, and measure temperatures to see if you can keep it in the right range. One part needs to be warm enough even in the coldest weather (95+ degrees F even on a cold morning), and another part needs to be cool enough even in the hottest weather (below 80 even on a hot afternoon). Depending on how big the brooder is, you can often achieve that just by hanging the heat lamp in one corner.

@Ridgerunner has a nice in-coop brooder that gets used even in below freezing conditions. Here's a link to a post that talks about it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/need-out-of-house.1509458/#post-25346291