Topic of the Week - Candling Eggs

[Kiki]

I look for internal pips!

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Trolls steal all the flashlights in our home so I use the efficent handy flashlight on my I phone. Works great, just set the egg on top an study! I am obsessed with candling. Great topic too, cause I have a batch of chicks growing and a broody duck on eggs!

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I look for blood rings, embryo growth, and movement to make sure it is still alive. 6 more days for my D'Uccle eggs, and I am beginning to get stressed out.

 

[lazy gardener]

- What do you use to candle eggs?
I use a little LED flashlight with new batteries.

- What about candling dark shelled eggs?

I use a table lamp, 7W CFL bulb. Shade removed. A red neck tube made from a round shampoo bottle covered with tin foil, and an opening large enough to be able to see into the egg. (a cardboard tube would do)

- When do you start candling eggs?

Day 3. I am an addicted candler. I must candle at least one egg/day. To me, that is one of the greatest reasons to hatch! To be able to hold that warm egg in my hand, and peer inside to see that little scrap of life dancing around inside that egg: It's truly witnessing a miracle. By far, the best candling days are 7 - 10, and white eggs are phenomenal.

- What do you look for when candling and what are the signs you need to give up on an egg? (I.e. what is normal, what are the warning signs, etc)

Good vein development. Sometimes veins won't be well attached to the membrane. Those eggs need special watching.

Good air-cell size. Keeping an eye on the air-cells tells me that my humidity is doing the job it was meant to do. If air-cells are not on target, I adjust the humidity. I mark my air-cells at day 7, 14, and lock down. When I lock down, I mark expected pip site.

Embryo development. They should all be developing at the same pace. Good embryo movement. The embryo should be making distinct movements that are not at all related to possible movement of the egg.

Sometimes an egg is simply too dark to candle. Even when using my table lamp, even when in a completely dark room. In that case, I leave the egg and hope for the best.

Any questionable eggs are marked with a "?".

I also sniff my bator on a regular basis. If any off odors are detected, I will haul out any questionable eggs, and give them an individual sniff test.

@WVduckchick : excellent post which covers the "warning signs" very well. Excellent photos.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thanks LG! @lazy gardener

Here's another candling pic from the Nurture Right incubator's included candling light. I rarely use it, because I prefer to candle with the egg upright (air cell on top) and candle down into the air cell. I also move the flashlight around the egg, instead of moving the egg excessively.
But this light is very bright! (don't be looking down when you hit the button to turn it on. LOL)

This is a Call duck egg, I believe around day 7 or so.

 

[casportpony]

With a system like that who needs lumens?!
The only way to show us how bright this puppy is is with pictures, as you said.

Not that I'll buy one for "mutt chickens", but i gotta at least see how cool it is...

It's bright enough that I can candle duck eggs in a brightly lit room, but as I said before, I think a good flashlight will probably do the same?

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

It's bright enough that I can candle duck eggs in a brightly lit room, but as I said before, I think a good flashlight will probably do the same?

That's one thing my magicfly doesn't do well is bright rooms. I mean, you can candle...but just to make sure it's working, definitely no thrill factor.
Ryn.

 

[casportpony]

That's one thing my magicfly doesn't do well is bright rooms. I mean, you can candle...but just to make sure it's working, definitely no thrill factor.
Ryn.

I find duck eggs easier to candle than chicken eggs, so probably not a good way to compare the two.

 

[casportpony]

- What do you look for when candling and what are the signs you need to give up on an egg? (I.e. what is normal, what are the warning signs, etc)

I just thought of one... I look for cracks that aren't visible to my old eyes! I used to try to hatch cracked eggs, but I found it to frustrating, so now I just toss them or eat them.

 

[milliebeth71]

- What do you use to candle eggs? The cell phone light

- What about candling dark shelled eggs? Thankfully my duck's eggs are white

- When do you start candling eggs? I started on Day 4 in the incubator... and Day 5, on Day 6 I eliminated duds, candled Day 7, on Day 8 considered eliminating another (thankful I didn't as it hatched with help 2 days late), candled every day and all were still viable on Day 28 but no piping. Day 29 (now +1 day overdue) one pipped and I assisted hatching as I was nervous of sticky membrane. One was still tapping but not pipped... the last one wasn't tapping when I tapped the shell but I hoped for the best. Day 30 (+2 overdue) the tapping one pipped and I again helped with hatching. The quiet one was dead which I suspected.

- What do you look for when candling and what are the signs you need to give up on an egg? Veins vs. blood ring. Heart developing with veining. Clear air pocket on one end. Movement. If the area inside the shell looks like pipping is accuring despite lack of break in shell. Give up when needed. I'm glad I still opened the egg of the one which almost made it. Gave me a clue what may have gone wrong and what color feathers it had. (I had suspected it was a black feather baby & it was. The others were blonde.) It was just as big as the other two and I think it wasn't strong enough to bust free and ran out of air.