This is so bad. Don't do what I just did.

[b2c2chicks]

I feel horrible! Never have I been wrong (I have maybe hatched 100 eggs)...when it's time to go on lockdown I always spot which eggs to throw out! Now, I have sent plenty into lockdown being unsure, and those never hatched of course. This time I took one out after observing no movement, huge blood rings, black spots, a gelatinous substance that just turned with the motion of the egg...i thought for sure it was a goner. The air sac was red. So I determined it was dead and went on to eggtopsy....

It was not dead. It was so alive! And only until I cracked the egg, plopped it out on the plate, allowed it to settle, did it start fighting for life!

I feel straight up awful. Worst 10 minutes. I will gladly risk an eggsplosion in the future.

 

[mill-j]

I candle eggs on day 14, any sterile eggs are tossed, while any eggs that show any development are kept just in case. I've never had one explode....yet

 

[paneubert]

I just don't candle at all. If an egg goes in on day 1, it stays in until about 3 days after due date and is then put in the freezer before being tossed. Call it lazy, or call it a major time saver. Either way it works for me!

 

[oregonkat]

I feel horrible! Never have I been wrong (I have maybe hatched 100 eggs)...when it's time to go on lockdown I always spot which eggs to throw out! Now, I have sent plenty into lockdown being unsure, and those never hatched of course. This time I took one out after observing no movement, huge blood rings, black spots, a gelatinous substance that just turned with the motion of the egg...i thought for sure it was a goner. The air sac was red. So I determined it was dead and went on to eggtopsy....

It was not dead. It was so alive! And only until I cracked the egg, plopped it out on the plate, allowed it to settle, did it start fighting for life!

I feel straight up awful. Worst 10 minutes. I will gladly risk an eggsplosion in the future.

You are not alone in this situation, mostly everyone here has done the same thing and it sucks, big time. Sorry. It sounds like you have had successful hatches and will do so again, focus on that. Count this mishap as a learning experience and hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[mill-j]

I just don't candle at all. If an egg goes in on day 1, it stays in until about 3 days after due date and is then put in the freezer before being tossed. Call it lazy, or call it a major time saver. Either way it works for me!

Unfortunately that wouldn't work for me. I need to know how the rooster is doing, since that does tell me when to replace him. I like to put in a small batch of maybe 4dz before doing a big batch. Saves a lot of tossed eggs should the rooster be failing.