ok I went out to check the new hatch chick.. as one of the 2 eggs that didnt hatch with the other 10 JUST HATCHED!! i wanted to be sure baby was still peeping and making his way to under mom. so when there i decided to try to remove the other egg as it has no sign of breaking out like his bro did. I need to know how to Candle it and what to look for as far as movment. so I can see if it's alive or not. if it is.. I need quick idea's to get it warm.. as of now it's in my (sorry guys) bra under me Ta ta. (Nice n warm). I want to "candle" it to see if it moves but have nooooo earthly idea how to do it. and if its alive.. need idea on how to keep him warm. I have no heat pad, so as of now i'm just keeping it warm with my body. I'm hoping upon hope being the other egg hatched. almost 3 days after the other 10 that this one will too!! and if it dose my some chance hatch.. after its all dry can i put it with the rest!
Go to one of these sites: http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html http://www.wikihow.com/Candle-an-Egg
If the chick were going to hatch within the next day or so, you should be able to hold it up to your ear and hear movement, pecking, peeping. At this point if the chick had develpoed it would be filling the whole shell, so you wouldn't see much of you candled, besides darkness. If it hasn't developed you should be able to see light through the egg. I only ever candled brown eggs, and they are a lot more difficult to candle than white eggs. Good luck... and I hope it's not bad/rotten inside, it will break open and stink... Good luch with all the other little chicks!
I would candle with a strong flashlight with cardboard and tape blocking most of the light except for a penny sized circle. Get someone to hold the flashlight for you and turn out the other lights.
As stated above, if it is close to hatching you won't see much except darkness. You can try a float test. Get some warm water and float the egg in it. If its alive and active, you will see the egg wiggling in the water. As for keeping it warm, I would just put it back under mom for the night. She should be settled down with the babies and won't be moving before morning. If it isn't hatched by morning, I would try to get a small box or something set up with a trouble light or some heat source.
If the egg shell is intact you can do the float test. Get a small deep bowl and fill it with warm water. Put the egg in it very slowly and let go trying not to make any waves. When the water settles look for any type of rocking movement. If it does it's still alive. I'd watch it for a good two to three minutes. What I have noticed if you hold an egg that's viable it will put off heat. One that has died won't. Just my 2 cents.
We got the Flashlights to work. and by what I ended up finding online it was not alive. cold to the touch.. she shoved it out once the late hatcher came out. and no movment. im still suprised that the other one did hatch!!!. hopefuly the lil guy is ok in the morn still. he didnt find his way to mom very fast. and she didnt seem intrested in encourghin him to come to her. I actualy got worried n got a lil shovel of the kids and gently nudged him closer to mom and she finaly wiggled him under her., I was to afraid to touch him as he didnt look fully dry yet. I wish I could get some sorta "incubator" set up and hatch some myself. that would realy be somthing for the kids, but i'd have to realy read up on that. would be fun
