When do you candle the chicken eggs and when to toss bad ones?

[annmarie33]

This is my first time incubating. I am on day 5 today. I received 12 in the mail but one egg was broken and all of the inside had gone on all the other eggs and dried. I tried cleaning it off but they still have some on them and some of the packing material they had them on top of- I tried scraping it off but some was glued to the egg basically because of the dried egg on it. I called the place I ordered from and she said they might not hatch having maybe been moved around too much in shipment. So hopefully if that is the case they will send me more. Anyway I already started with a concern so it's making me nervous about the candling steps.

I also put 4 of my own hens eggs in there at the same time. So I candled them on the first day and the shipped egg and mine looked similar in that you just see the yolk shadow. I checked on day 4 and got 2 out of mine and 2 of the others. Mine had veins and almost looked like a day 5. The other 2 had nothing but the yolk like day 1. Could it be too early? I was thinking maybe since the hen sat on the eggs for a day mine might be further along.

How long should I wait to check again? Could there be no veins at day 4? What would you do? I'm wondering when I should candle and definitely know that if I don't see an embryo I need to throw it out? By day 10?

 

[annmarie33]

Day 4 showing embryo

 

[AmyLynn2374]

This is my first time incubating. I am on day 5 today. I received 12 in the mail but one egg was broken and all of the inside had gone on all the other eggs and dried. I tried cleaning it off but they still have some on them and some of the packing material they had them on top of- I tried scraping it off but some was glued to the egg basically because of the dried egg on it. I called the place I ordered from and she said they might not hatch having maybe been moved around too much in shipment. So hopefully if that is the case they will send me more. Anyway I already started with a concern so it's making me nervous about the candling steps.

I also put 4 of my own hens eggs in there at the same time. So I candled them on the first day and the shipped egg and mine looked similar in that you just see the yolk shadow. I checked on day 4 and got 2 out of mine and 2 of the others. Mine had veins and almost looked like a day 5. The other 2 had nothing but the yolk like day 1. Could it be too early? I was thinking maybe since the hen sat on the eggs for a day mine might be further along.

How long should I wait to check again? Could there be no veins at day 4? What would you do? I'm wondering when I should candle and definitely know that if I don't see an embryo I need to throw it out? By day 10?

You can see veining as early as day 3-4 in light colored eggs BUT I would not judge development until at least day 7. If there's no noticeable development by day 7 then there probably won't be, however, I don't toss clears until day 10. (During my day 7 candle and marking I set any "clears aside in the bator and recheck them at day 10.)

Shipped eggs are much harder to hatch because of the damage done to then via post. There are a few methods that hatchers that do shipped eggs use to better the chances of the eggs such as letting them sit longer before incubation, not turning for the first 3-4 days of incubation, not candling or handling as much, ect....

When you candle, candle down into the egg from the air cell end (round end) and this wil allow you to see your air cell so you can monitor for growth and especially in shipped eggs so that you can see if you have saddle air cells or detached air cells. It will also put the growth and development into a better perspective for you.

 

[annmarie33]

Thanks for the info. I'll try to let them be until day 7 and see if I can see anything then. I'll post pictures of I am not sure if it's anything for advice

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks for the info. I'll try to let them be until day 7 and see if I can see anything then. I'll post pictures of I am not sure if it's anything for advice

Sounds good! Good luck!

 

[annmarie33]

Does this air sack look too big for day 7? My humidity has been 45-51 but mostly 48. I'm wondering if I should go to 55?

 

[annmarie33]

 

[annmarie33]

 

[annmarie33]

And what would you think of these on day 7? Bad eggs?

 

[annmarie33]