will this be ok strategy, candling-wise?

[patandchickens]

This is my first setting, homemade incubator, I've done lotsa reading but still feeling exceedingly clueless

The eggs are day 6 today. I bought a high powered pocket-sized flashlight, allegedly 80 lumens brightness, and 'had' (

) to test it to see if it'd be usable for candling.

So I picked up a few random eggs to check. I had a SUPER view in the two white ones (sussex-campine mutts) - wowieee - veins all over and one of the embryos was doing a little dance in there, probably the whackadoodle campine side of the parentage coming out

(That is, btw, the COOLEST thing to see, and I say this as a professional biologist

) The tinted and brown ones though, two I thought I *might* be seeing vague shadows of veining, maybe, but the other 5 I tried, there was no way I was seeing anything I'd trust myself on.

Does the following sound like a good way of proceeding:

-Pull one of the 'good' white eggs briefly to show to my young son, who will want to see (that's ok to do, right?)

-Otherwise, wait til day 10 and candle everybody then, sniffing as I go.

-However, just write down what I see, NOT actually throw out anything except if there are any definitely clear *white* eggs.

-Sniff incubator daily thereafter

-Pull a good white egg to show DS again a week or so later, so he can see how the embryo has grown.

-Candle one more time when I remove the (manual outside) turner on Day 18.

-then just cross fingers.

Is this likely to be ok i.e. not likely to lead to something leaking or exploding?

Thanks for all advice,

Pat

 

[wegotchickens]

That's about how I do it.
Stinking and/ or seeping eggs are the danger signs.

I candle at day 10, mark the good ones, leave them all in there until day 16, then candle again. Pull clears or fails (pretty obvious by then) and let the rest be. Pulling the clears gives me room to set things up for the increased humidity (paper towels under the holes in the lid for adding water during the hatch.

 

[ranchhand]

Sounds like a plan to me! Happy hatching!


ETA, my nose works better than the light sometimes.

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
I was surprised at how strong and distinct the odor was the one & only time I had a stinker. Could track to the side of the bator it was on, easily, and only had to sniff 3 eggs before I pinpointed the obvious offender. Glad I haven't had any more of them!!

 

[CindyS]

No urgent need to remove unfertiles, they work as a heat sink. An egg will still look like a egg (non fertile) even after 21 days of incubation. If you have one that has been invaded with bacteria, though, those are the ones that may explode. (which really does not happen very often) You will know there is a bad one WAY before it seeps or oozes, by the smell. As far as showing your son the developing eggs- ABSOLUTLY every day if he wants to see it!

 

[daisychick]

Sounds like a great plan! I have had some really dark eggs that I just couldn't tell what was going on and I just left them. They never blew up or seeped or anything. Then on day 24 I opened them and they were quitters on like day 2 and they made it the whole time without stinking or leaking. I think you will be fine.

And taking out an egg to show kids it awesome idea!! My kids love it!

 

[Davaroo]

You got it Pat. I do love your way of phrasing things.

I refrain from candling, so you might call me a candler-refrainer. I candle prior to setting, looking for defects. May people fail to do this.
Icandle once at 7 days and once at 14 days and then that's it.
I do not candle before day 7. The embryo is at its most fragile then and any club fisted handling at that point could spell diaster.

And regardless of what I see, I do not remove eggs, unless they're obviously distressed (oozing, stinking, or showing the red ring of bacterial death).

The act of candling is a test, really, and tests imply that we must do something with the results. Well, must we? Why?

I mean, if you have duds, you cannot change that. Culling wont make a difference. So, why take them out, if there is nothing wrong with them other than they are barren?

Lets face it, hatching is mostly a lot of waiting around. I suspect most people get anamored of candling and culling simply because it gives them something to do.

I leave all eggs that are not in distress, do little candling and so disturb the setting as little as possible. The duds, in fact, add a thermal buffering effect to the chamber and do little harm if they remain in place.