PLEASE HELP!!!! Question obout candeling.

[Billyj]

Ok I think I know the answer to this question but here goes. I candeled my eggs last night and saw the "shadow" if you will moving inside the egg. It always came to the top. Is this bad? Is it a dud? I did see some veining in one, I think, but the shadow moved to the top as well. Should I gust give them a proper farewell, or is that natural? thanks for any help.

 

[Billyj]

Anybody??

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

What did the "shadow" look like and what day are you on? If you saw veining, I wouldn't mess with them.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Are they light colored eggs? Could be the yolk floating around in there. If you are at day 7 or more and see veining I would leave them. What you should see at day seven is a tiny black spot moving around vigourously inside the shell. If the egg is light colored and you don't see any veining it prob wasn't fertile and your seeing the yolk floating in there. The yolk will float towards the top sometimes as you turn the egg.
If they die at an early age you will see a 'blood ring' around the egg usually.

 

[Chic Chick]

It would be nice to have more information about the eggs.
How many days have they been incubating?
Do you see any veins?
What are you using to candle them with?

I start to check my incubating eggs at about day 5 to see if there are any veins. By the 10th day you should be able to see movement from the embryos. With a little practice you'll be able to tell a live embryo from a clear egg or one with a blood ring.
I use a led flashlight inserted into a tube, and hold the egg horizontal with the light on the big end and I can see very well except for the marans eggs.
You can also make a candler with a light and a box with a round hole cut into it.

 

[Billyj]

I am on day 6. I have one white egg and the other are brown. The white on is the one I saw the veining in. I am using a Mini Mag light in total darkness. I do not see movement, just the yolk. I can not see much inside the brown eggs but the "shadow". I am assuming (and you know what they say about that), that it is the yolk floating around in there. I just basically wanted to make sure that it is usual for the yolk to move around when you turn the egg.

 

[happytxchick]

Yes...it is usual for it to float to the top when you turn the egg. You won't want to "spin" the egg (turn it many times in the same direction) or you'll twist up the chalazae.

On day six, you should be able to see a dark spot floating/moving around inside the egg -- that's the chick's eye.

Check out the "sticky" at the top of the Incubating & Hatching Eggs section -- by silkiechicken entitled "Chicks are Here!!!" -- you'll find day by day pictures of candled eggs and a bunch of tips.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I would leave them a few more days and check again around day 10. You should know for sure by then. I've candled some around day 6 and made the mistake of thinking they were duds but they weren't.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Yes put them back and wait until day 10.

 

[Billyj]

Thank you all for your help.