The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: geebee on May 15, 2011, 12:48:44 am
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I've been reading recent posts about candling but still not sure what I'm seeing. It's roughly day 14 - I'd just left the eggs my 2 bantams hadbeen laying then noticed one was only coming out of the coop when I brought food, after a couple of days she wasn't coming out at all so moved her & the eggs. I tried candling them tonight using a box I'd rigged up & very bright torch. I could see a dark mass & what I think was an air sac in all of them but no movement. The last one had 2 big eyes so definately a chick there. Is the dark mass the chick?
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Yes, the dark mass is the chick :) You don't always get much movement at this stage. An infertile egg is called a 'clear' egg for just that reason - it's clear, you can see nothing really inside.
If you candle again just before they're due you'll see a much bigger air sac and the rest of the egg completely dark as the chick has filled it. Sometimes you can see the beak chipping away inside ;D
Occasionally an egg will stop developing part way along. Then you can see too much 'unused up egg contents' and less chick, compared with the others.
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Hi there
Any advice on candling quail eggs. This is my first incubation and we 5 days in, so know it is too early yet, but many seem to say it is hard to see anything through the shells.
Thank you
Lauraine
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Thanks jaykay, now I'm getting excited! ;DI just didn't trust what I was seeing, never done it before.