turning eggs

[love2grinchicke]

I candled my eggs, and they all seem to be dark on one side. Does this mean that I am not turning them enough?

 

[BantamLover21]

I candled my eggs, and they all seem to be dark on one side. Does this mean that I am not turning them enough?

Not for sure. How long have the eggs been incubated? Sometimes the embryo fills up one part of the egg more than the other, resulting in a lopsided appearance. Do they otherwise look healthy (movement, etc.)? If not, then it is likely that the embryo(s) have died. When that happens, the dead body tends to drift to one side, shapeless and bloblike. Or it could be because you aren't turning them enough. How often do you turn them? 3-5 times a day (or more--one of my incubators automatically turns the eggs every hour) is usually recommended.

 

[enola]

What day are you on? Do most of them look the same? How often do you turn them?

 

[love2grinchicke]

they have been incubating for about a week, and I am turning them twice a day.

 

[BantamLover21]

they have been incubating for about a week, and I am turning them twice a day.

You don't usually see dark blobs in an egg when they're only a week into incubation. Do you have any photos, and if so, can you post them? The darkness on one side that you're seeing could be the yolk, or an embryo.

 

[love2grinchicke]

okay

 

[love2grinchicke]

This isn't the greatest picture, but it shows the dark spot on top.

 

[BantamLover21]

This isn't the greatest picture, but it shows the dark spot on top.

Definitely not an embyro... It does look like the yolk has gotten stuck to one side, either because of not enough turning or something else. Either that, or there is some bacterial growth inside the egg. Can you see any blood vessels, movement, or a small dark blob that swings erratically when you rotate the egg?

 

[enola]

I only turn my eggs two times a day and I get good hatch results. If they were my eggs I would leave them in the incubator to see if they continue to develope.

 

[love2grinchicke]

I plan on keeping them in there. I really hope they hatch.