NEED HELP with first time broodie!!

[keyt1969]

I have a silkie that seems to like to steal everyone's eggs. We found out she was sitting on 8 eggs and has been for about a week. I candled them tonight, but I only have experience with candling reptile eggs.

So what exactly am I looking for? If I don't see much after a week are they not fertile? I have 60 chickens out there so I must have fertile eggs somewhere!! What about other eggs that the silkie isn't sitting on? Do I put them aside and candle them later? I can't afford an incubator but this silkie is SO protective of eggs so I could use her.

Please, any help is appreciated!! We're new at this, only had chickens for a year.

 

[ScissorChick]

Ofcoarse, you need a rooster for fertile eggs. You do have a rooster, don't you?

You'd be suprised at the many people who expect fertile eggs from hens with no

roos.

Now, you need to look for veins, mass, and/or cloudiness When candling.

And normally you'll see a tiny black dot, which is the chick's eye.

If the light

shines right through the egg, it's most likely not fertile. You need to candle around

day 6-7 days of incubation, if candled before then, your most likely not going to

see much at all, if anything. Often if theres a red-ish pink-ish tent to the egg inside

when candled, it may be fertile. You can candle as often as everyday, until lockdown.

Heres a link for pictures of candling :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876

Heres some pictures of my own :

Heres an egg that was developing GREAT.

This was candled around 7-8 days of incubation. You can see the veins, and the tiny

embryo in the middle.

Heres one with a bloodring, which is a sure sign the embryo is dead.

Heres a very porous egg. Porous eggs can hatch, but tend to have a lower chance.

ScissorChick

 

[keyt1969]

WOW thanks for the pics! I have seen eggs like the last two.

Yes, we have many roosters. There's a LOT of action out there so that's why I was surprised i didn't think I had seen any fertile.

The silkie that's sitting on 8 eggs has them of all types. But when I candled them, I wasn't sure what I was looking at or how long I should have waited to check them. It's been about 6 days. Maybe I'll leave them there another couple of days.

Thanks SO much for your help!!!

 

[ScissorChick]

No problem, and good luck with your eggs!

And congrats on the broody! They're a pain...LOL

❀ScissorChick❀

 

[Happy Chooks]

Great advise from Scissorchick.

Also, if you find that your broody kicks an egg out of the nest, candle it before sticking it back under her. My broody kicked out an infertile egg halfway through incubation. It just amazes me that they know the good eggs and the bad.

Good luck with your hatch! Nothing is sweeter than babies with a mama hen.