Questions about first hatch

[caymiane]

We are on day 4 and I decided to candle the eggs tonight. We have 16 eggs, but I was only able to see veins starting in 4. The majority of our eggs are a darker brown, so I can't really see too well. We have 3 white eggs, but they look almost completely clear. The other eggs are a bit confusing. They are dark on top and clear at the bottom. This is our first hatch, so I'm not sure what if that means the eggs are good or bad. It is early, so I didn't remove them, but how long should it be before I know for sure if they are developing or should be removed?

 

[alaskanchickens]

I am on day 6, almost 7, with Black Copper Marans and Welsummers (chocolate brown eggs) and 4 med tan bugg orpington eggs. I started to see veining in the orpington eggs on day 5. The darker eggs I can't see any veining. How I tell if dark eggs are fertile and developing: I hold the egg upright (large air cell end up) and candle from the top. Usually can't see air cell but the top 1/3 (ish) of the egg will be light and the bottome 2/3 will be dark. I have a few that are questionable but will not throw any out until day 14 unless they start to smell! Usually candling on day 7, 14 and 18 but I tend to check one or 2 eggs every day just because I'm inpatient!

 

[blucoondawg]

I candled at day 4 or 5 and couldn't really see much in my eggs but at day 10 I did it again and was able to make out the veining easily on the developing ones, I don't have maran eggs I imagine those to be more difficult. I need to find a much brighter light too. The camera flash on my phone actually works quite well, better than any candling light I tried and better than the small led flashlight I have but there has to be something better.

 

[alaskanchickens]

I candled at day 4 or 5 and couldn't really see much in my eggs but at day 10 I did it again and was able to make out the veining easily on the developing ones, I don't have maran eggs I imagine those to be more difficult. I need to find a much brighter light too. The camera flash on my phone actually works quite well, better than any candling light I tried and better than the small led flashlight I have but there has to be something better.

There is NO veining to be seen in Marans eggs and it can be really nerve wracking! I have used a heat lamp with a cardboard "cone" to funnel the light and that seems to work really well! I currently use a decent sized LED flashlight and am happy with it, cant situate the heat lamp in the closet the incubators in.

 

[blucoondawg]

I have a 1 million candle power spotlight which is cordless that I was going to try to make a cone for, that should do the job but it does create heat as well so I wouldn't want to leave the egg on it very long. I imagine it doesn't produce as much heat as a heat lamp though.

 

[alaskanchickens]

I should have said that I don't use the actual heat lamp bulb, I put a flood light in it. I have used my husbands spotlight also, just a lot bigger and more difficult to use but it does work, I just made a cone that kept the egg 4-6 inches from the cover. I usually only have the egg out and candle for a few seconds so I don't think the heat for that short amount of time would hurt.

 

[caymiane]

Thanks!!!! Today is day ten and things aren't looking too bad. I ordered 16 eggs and most of them seem to be growing. I have a few that seem to be doing nothing, but they have no odor, so I haven't removed them. Some of the embryos seem bigger than others, but I am seeing movement, so I'm not overly concerned right now. It's pretty amazing to see them moving around in there.