Very Interesting Read About Embyronic Light Sensitivity

[CluckyCharms]

http://www.int-ornith-union.org/files/proceedings/durban/Symposium/S46/S46.2.htm

It's extremely long and parts of it are dull, but for the most part it's very interesting. It's basically about how light effects the chicks inside the egg IE: excessive candling and overall effects of light exposure. It doesn't exactly point out negatives or positives to either side - it's just an interesting read. lol

 

[Sally Sunshine]

thanks!

 

[mstricer]

I have better hatches when my incubator is in the closet in the dark, and the chicks don't roll the eggs around and go crazy if you don't shine a light in the incubator every 5 seconds. I think they hatch faster. I tend to only candle on day 18 to throw out any eggs that are not developing, Other then that I just leave them be.

 

[CluckyCharms]

I have better hatches when my incubator is in the closet in the dark, and the chicks don't roll the eggs around and go crazy if you don't shine a light in the incubator every 5 seconds. I think they hatch faster. I tend to only candle on day 18 to throw out any eggs that are not developing, Other then that I just leave them be.

This is exactly what I'm planning on doing with my next shipment(s) of eggs that are coming. It makes sense, since the underside of a hen, surrounded by bedding would be completely dark I would imagine (apart from the times the hen gets up to eat, etc). I'll turn them 3x a day still, but I'm definitely hatching the next ones in the dark...it's worth a shot if nothing else.=) I'm also going to resist candling them (going to be so hard for me) for the first 18 days and candle just prior to lockdown. From what I've been reading, it's usually easy enough to spot a deceased chick in an egg due to stinky or weeping when it 'goes bad'. I'll just remove them if they stink and candle any remaining unhatched eggs the 4th day after the others have hatched.

 

[mayberrygirl]

Interesting... I incubate in a reptipro 6000 which stays pretty dark inside unless I turn on the light, but it is blueish. I hatch in a homemade incubator with 2 40 watt bulbs, cooler style and I get a pretty high hatch rate.