March 2022 Hatch-A-Long

[WallyG74]

Okay, I’m admitting to still having a steep learning curve to hatching eggs…by asking this question. When you are candling your shipped to you eggs—how do you determine the air cell is detached or intact? When I candle the eggs, I don’t see air cells anywhere? Even in non-shipped eggs, so I’m wondering if I don’t know what to be looking for? And I can’t find good examples? I see the yolk move around…but no obvious air cells until day 3-5…I feel like Rachel on Friends looking for her baby on the Ultrasound! Everyone else sees it but I don’t Anyone have good pictures of a candled egg on Day 1 from a shipped egg with an intact vs not air cell? TIA!

@LadiesAndJane can show you every example of egg candling possible.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

All 24 out of 24 fertile eggs hatched that went to lockdown!
Shipped Self Blue Ameraucanas
Shipped Buckeyes
My Black Ameraucanas
My Blue Marans

 

[LadiesAndJane]

7 hatched so far. 6 BCs & 1 RIR. I just moved 5 because the other 2 are pretty fresh out da shell.
View attachment 3038915
Sorry about the red light photo. The regular light has issues down there.

Congrats on the new chicks!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

@LadiesAndJane can show you every example of egg candling possible.

Thanks for the vote of confidence!


Good morning @kurby22!
While I have taken many photos of incubating eggs, I do not personally have photos demonstrating this, I have though seen it many times.
I often refer to this thread, it is older and you have to dig around a bit for all the info, but it is still an excellent resource for hatching shipped eggs. Has a good photo of what a detached air cell looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/17631705

This photo demonstrates what a fresh eggs air cell looks like, fertile or not. The larger the air cell, the older the egg in general and can be used to help determine how long you let shipped eggs settle before setting in the incubator. The older the egg, the sooner you want to get them going. If the egg is very fresh then it can be very difficult to see the air cell. If the egg cell is detached, you can actually see it roll around from side to side like the bubble in a level. If the air cell is just loose, then the edges of it will jiggle a bit when you move it from side to side. Often with detached aircells you can see little air bubbles on the edges of the air cell which is a good sign that it is broken.
Best to check with a strong LED flashlight or candler in a VERY dark room. I use the MagicFly rechargeable candler and it is awesome!

I made the mistake in a recent hatch of setting one of my own birds' eggs with a detached air cell. I usually check the eggs, but did not this time. It was already developing when I discovered it, so I ended up incubating it upright, like a shipped egg. Although it did make excellent progress during incubation and made it to lockdown, it did not make it to hatch.
This is what it looked like on DAY 5.
It was no longer loose and had settled on the side of the egg.

Editing my original post to add these photos I just took. Looked in the fridge and found an egg with a detached air cell. I have several broodies right now and they’re a bit rough on the eggs!

A bit difficult to see but one photo is with the egg on its side. The other photo is at an angle.
Hope this helps!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

The second hatch of this march ended up few days ago. 12 babies hatched out of 13 fertile eggs.
View attachment 3039283
The older ones are almost one month old and thriving very well. The only problem is that they all look boys to me lol... We will see in few weeks.

Congrats on your new babies! This is an awesome photo!

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

Okay, I’m admitting to still having a steep learning curve to hatching eggs…by asking this question. When you are candling your shipped to you eggs—how do you determine the air cell is detached or intact? When I candle the eggs, I don’t see air cells anywhere? Even in non-shipped eggs, so I’m wondering if I don’t know what to be looking for? And I can’t find good examples? I see the yolk move around…but no obvious air cells until day 3-5…I feel like Rachel on Friends looking for her baby on the Ultrasound! Everyone else sees it but I don’t Anyone have good pictures of a candled egg on Day 1 from a shipped egg with an intact vs not air cell? TIA!

I get on the floor and use my phone, put the big end on the light, and get level with the egg. You should be able to see a lighter colored air cell. There are sort of 3 stages in detatched air cells. First, they get jiggly. Then they may get a strange shape like a saddle shape. Third stage is they are completely detatched. Floating freely. If I look, I can just see an air pocket floating around.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

All 24 out of 24 fertile eggs hatched that went to lockdown!
Shipped Self Blue Ameraucanas
Shipped Buckeyes
My Black Ameraucanas
My Blue Marans

Congratulations! Fantastic results.

 

[Iluveggers]

Thanks for the vote of confidence!


Good morning @kurby22!
While I have taken many photos of incubating eggs, I do not personally have photos demonstrating this, I have though seen it many times.
I often refer to this thread, it is older and you have to dig around a bit for all the info, but it is still an excellent resource for hatching shipped eggs. Has a good photo of what a detached air cell looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/17631705

This photo demonstrates what a fresh eggs air cell looks like, fertile or not. The larger the air cell, the older the egg in general and can be used to help determine how long you let shipped eggs settle before setting in the incubator. The older the egg, the sooner you want to get them going. If the egg is very fresh then it can be very difficult to see the air cell. If the egg cell is detached, you can actually see it roll around from side to side like the bubble in a level. If the air cell is just loose, then the edges of it will jiggle a bit when you move it from side to side. Often with detached aircells you can see little air bubbles on the edges of the air cell which is a good sign that it is broken.
Best to check with a strong LED flashlight or candler in a VERY dark room. I use the MagicFly rechargeable candler and it is awesome!

View attachment 3039533
I made the mistake in a recent hatch of setting one of my own birds' eggs with a detached air cell. I usually check the eggs, but did not this time. It was already developing when I discovered it, so I ended up incubating it upright, like a shipped egg. Although it did make excellent progress during incubation and made it to lockdown, it did not make it to hatch.
This is what it looked like on DAY 5.
It was no longer loose and had settled on the side of the egg.
View attachment 3039540

Editing my original post to add these photos I just took. Looked in the fridge and found an egg with a detached air cell. I have several broodies right now and they’re a bit rough on the eggs!
View attachment 3039565View attachment 3039566
A bit difficult to see but one photo is with the egg on its side. The other photo is at an angle.
Hope this helps!

So there’s a benefit to candling before setting eggs? I might tag you on my first incubation next month if you don’t mind!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So there’s a benefit to candling before setting eggs? I might tag you on my first incubation next month if you don’t mind!

Happy to be of help, if I can!
So exciting that you will be incubating/hatching for the first time! Nerve wracking and rewarding experience! Despite all the complications that can occur, we all keep coming back for more!

 

[Iluveggers]

G

Happy to be of help, if I can!
So exciting that you will be incubating/hatching for the first time! Nerve wracking and rewarding experience! Despite all the complications that can occur, we all keep coming back for more!

Thank you! Excited to learn!