Correct me if I'm wrong?

[Snadger]

I have 12 eggs incubating which are on day 12 of the 21 day cycle!

I haven't got a candler but I have darkened the room, held each egg in my left hand whilst shining a torch from the back.
I can practically see through three of the Salmon faverolle eggs and one of the Light Sussex, the rest look solid.
Am I right in asuming the eggs I can't see through are probably ok and the ones I can see through are duff?

I've also heard of putting them in water and ascertaining if they are ok by checking whether they sink or float?

Wadya think?

[shirlthegirl43]

Sorry Snadger can't help. Mind you, since I have read that fresh eggies will keep for 6 weeks, I wouldn't expect a 'bad' one to float after 12 days.

Good luck with them.

[Snadger]

Sorry Snadger can't help. Mind you, since I have read that fresh eggies will keep for 6 weeks, I wouldn't expect a 'bad' one to float after 12 days.

Good luck with them.

Ah Shirl, but it's twelve days at 37.5 Deg C!!!!!!!

[lynda66]

i was convinced my dark ones had chicks in but a couple didn't ..... i was also convinced a couple of the eggs were clear .... but they had babies, the most important factor is the air sac, that tends to be a better judge, cos you can often see a lighter bit underneath it .... try candling from the ends. .... sorry not much help was i lol ..... it was much easier towards the end, when you can often see them wriggle

[shirlthegirl43]

Ah Shirl, but it's twelve days at 37.5 Deg C!!!!!!!

Ah, good point. Baked eggs might be dark too though

[CoraxAurata]

According to this (which I admit is about a differnt bird entirely) Some types of opaque is ok....
Candling Eggs

Never had much sucess at candling myself - maran eggs are so dark and when I candled (or attempted to) the duck eggs they appeared to all be defunct - I was wrong!

[CoraxAurata]

not sure I'd risk putting them in water ..... have enough trouble with humidity as it is!

[lynda66]

oh yeah, and phoenix came from an egg that had an air pocket at the side, if you get one of those, make sure the egg is at the top when you stop turning or the baby will drown.

i'm glad it wasn't just me then lol ..... mind you i also had maran eggs, very dark, but occasionally you could just make out the air pocket and a clear bit of fluid towards the end of hatching where the baby moves away from the light.

[CoraxAurata]

I don't like to handle them too much so after finding that it was next to impossible to see anything - I'm trying to breed for super dark eggs, I stopped trying.... plus my "candler" which I wnet into the wardrobe to use nearly set me and the 'exam room' on fire.... ::

I would like to know how to work out what caused fully developed chicks (1 this time 3 last time) to die before hatching... one of the last time ones was all in one end of the egg with as much air pocket as occupied space (it was a very large egg) but it seemed very strange to me...

trivia :-Did you know that marans eggs have smaller pores than other types - the darker the smaller the pores and that just the oils from your skin can block those pores? At least the very nice very knowledgeable man I bought the christmas chick eggs from told me and my chookie encylopedia suggests that the first bit at least is right, apparently The French Marans club (or society or something) says that marans eggs are far less likely to have salmonella in them because the pores are too small....

OK I've gone on enough but with 16 fluffies how can I not be chook obsessed at the moment?.....<g>

[Snadger]

I suppose I'll just have to wait and see! I don't fancy chucking out what I deem to be dodgy eggs, to find they were ok!

When the broody hen was sitting on the eggs, I did chuck away eggs that 'sloshed' after a good while though!

[Nicos]

I gave up in the end!
The one I was sure was bad was very dark at about 2 weeks-and yet that was the one with the chick in!!!! (glad I didn't chuck it!!!!!)

My guess is that's it's trial and error for the first few clutches- just to get the experience- and then maybe the 'results' will be more accurate!?

There's not much on Google to compare to...most of mine have looked different to each other- and the Google piccies!!!

Is there anyone on the Vine who's good at photography with chooks who could have a bash at photos of candling????

I'm still in favour of bar coding my next lot of eggs!!!

[shirlthegirl43]

The technology of all this astounds me. When we had hens we used to notice that the banties had vanished and usually before we could find the nest they appeared with a little troop of fluffy bods behind them - no candling or worrying needed. Eventually we would find a nest with maybe a dud egg or so left.

[Nicos]

I think what I am worried about is if a bad egg bursts in the nest.
BUT- I've seen 3 eggs now (which have been sat on for 3 weeks)still containing yellow yolk! ..no black stinky mess.

My other problem is that I'm nosy/interested

I did read somewhere that if the air pocket is at the tip- the chick will be male- and tip/side it'll be female.

ya see..it's all very interesting to me!!!

[Noodle]

I think you put it in the water to see if it moves. It's called bobbing I think. If there's a chick in it, it should move slightly, hense bobbing. But not sure at what age of egg you can do this!

[CoraxAurata]

HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC.

again not chickens but probably true for them too! - I never heard of this before only for testing freshness so thanks! You learn something new everyday!