When should I candle for the 2nd time?

[Cloverr39]

I candled on day 4 to get an idea of how many are developing. When should I candle for the 2nd time? I'm incubating silkie chicken eggs.

 

[NatJ]

If you are impatient to see how they are doing, you can candle again at any time.

7-10 days is often a good time to candle and discard any clears (no development at all.)

7, 14, and 18 days are good times to candle for checking air cell size (a way to check if the humdity is right.) Most charts of air cell size are for those days.

18 days is a good time to candle before hatching, to discard any that quit growing partway through.

Some people candle frequently, even every day. Some other people candle only once or twice. Some people do not candle at all. Most eggs seem to do fine with any of those candling amounts.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

I hatch Silkie eggs too! I candle first on day 10 that way I know for sure which eggs are developing and which ones I need to pull. The second time I candle is day 18 right before they go into lockdown so I can see their progress and if there were any quitters along the way.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You do not have to candle, candling does nothing to improve your eggs chances of hatching. Candling doesn't harm them either as long as you don't get silly and drop an egg. Some use candling to make decisions, others do it just for curiosity.

I never candle eggs under a broody hen. I typically candle incubator eggs around 7 days to get an idea of what is going on but I never pull any eggs then so that is pure curiosity. I candle at lockdown and remove any clears that I know can't hatch. That's not because I'm worried about exploding eggs or anything like that, it is just to remove them from the incubator to make it easier to keep up with the other eggs from pip to hatch.

 

[mcdze]

i make sure to do it about 10 days, thats the most telling point, and clear eggs can be weeded out easily .. thats really the only time they need to be candled, but you can check what theyre looking like anytime the bator is opened, i just wouldnt open it too much and give yourself an anxiety attack about how they look lol, nothing you can do to change the outcome by candling ... if at 10 days something is wrong and more than half are clear i might change strategy now, depending on if i need a certain number of chicks ..first i make sure the bator temp isnt the problem or its acting up, then i may start a staggered hatch for instance, but time you test and monitor the bator, collect eggs and let them chill a couple days you havent gained much, but ive done that ...

 

[Cloverr39]

Alright, thanks everyone. I know candling isn't necessary, but I like to have an idea of how many chicks to expect and what the fertility is like. I think I'm gonna leave them alone for a while and candle again when they are close to lockdown.

 

[Faraz1]

I hatch Silkie eggs too! I candle first on day 10 that way I know for sure which eggs are developing and which ones I need to pull. The second time I candle is day 18 right before they go into lockdown so I can see their progress and if there were any quitters along the way.

This is the way i do it as well

 

[Keribabi]

I hatch Silkie eggs too! I candle first on day 10 that way I know for sure which eggs are developing and which ones I need to pull. The second time I candle is day 18 right before they go into lockdown so I can see their progress and if there were any quitters along the way.

How can you tell if you ha e quitters on lockdown day ? I don't know what to look for.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

How can you tell if you ha e quitters on lockdown day ? I don't know what to look for.

Lockdown can be a bit harder to tell because most of the chicks getting ready to hatch will fill up most of the egg except the air cell and you will see some veining still. One thing you can look for is a blood ring, that is one sign that you have a quitter. Another is if you have a big dark blob with NO veining but you have to be careful pulling these because it may appear like a quitter but actually be a chick ready to hatch. If you're unsure, then I'd wait a little longer to pull it. The main way you can tell if there is active development is veining and movement. I think it's really cool when I candle and I see the chick moving. That's some of the ways I tell, if you're ever unsure, it's always better to be on the safe side and candle again later to see if it has made any progress or if it is indeed a quitter.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How can you tell if you ha e quitters on lockdown day ? I don't know what to look for.

You get better with experience. For you just starting out I suggest you look for clear eggs at lockdown and pull those. Those are the most obvious, they haven't really developed at all. Don't push it the first time.

Do not rely in movement or lack of movement to make a decision. It is great to see movement, it leaves no doubt, but they are not always all moving. Sometimes they rest.