The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: suziequeue on June 01, 2013, 11:16:38 pm
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Having just had some poor girl sitting on eggs for almost a month with no success I want to get a candling torch to make sure the eggs are developing in future.
Does anybody have any recommendations for a good one?
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I've got the standard Brinsea one which is the only one I've used but seems pretty good to me. It's brilliant on the duck eggs and some of the hens eggs. Goose eggs take a few days longer but I can certainly see after a week with them whether they're fertile or not. The biggest problem was Marans eggs which I did get right in the end but only a few days before they hatched! I've got three colours of Orpington under broodies at the moment and the lightest eggs (buffs) are the easiest while I'm not 100% sure of the blue/splash eggs becasuse they're darker.
H
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We have the more powerful Brinsea one. It's difficult to see anything without experience, so we got the one with the most light. We did borrow one and couldn't make out anything.
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I made my own! It works pretty well and was simple to sort. A little £5 LED torch and an old camera film canister. Remove the lid and cut off the bottom of the film tub to make it into a small plastic tube. Slide the tube onto the end of the torch and if its not a tight fit then simply add a bit of black insulation tape. Hold the egg up to the end of the tube, switch on the torch and if done in a darker than daylight room I can see as well as a friend can with his purpose made candler!!
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Thanks for all the recommendations.
In view of the fact that we are amateurs, have dark coloured Marans eggs and will need to be doing it outside - probably during the day - I have gone for the Brinsea ovaview and ovascope.
Hopefully it will arrive soon so we can candle the Marans eggs to see if they are a goer.
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I have taken to using my led head torch. It's way better than any purpose made candling lamp I've seen and having a round piece around the lense the egg just fits in nicely.
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In view of the fact that we are amateurs, have dark coloured Marans eggs and will need to be doing it outside - probably during the day
I use any old torch, but preferably LED, and go into a dark stall or put a jacket over my head if it's too bright outside. I use a graphite pencil to mark them with various symbols indicating whatever I think pertinent, and often check the same brood several times to remove early failures before they get a chance to go bad, since I'm in the tropics. It's often easier to wait until nighttime so if the hen does take offense she's much less likely to abandon the clutch. Which only matters if you're brooding them naturally I guess.
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Yes - we will be doing it at night when the hen is sleepy so perhaps the ova scope is slightly ova kill!
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I'd say for Marans the more powerful the better. I've been candling at night and still found them challenging. Not a hope by day (even in the outside loo with the door shut!).
H
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Hi I use one of these they are extremely powerful.You can see through most things with it.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-LENSER-P7-PROFESSIONAL-TORCH-BLACK-MODEL-8407-/271049145445?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item3f1bc9bc65 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-LENSER-P7-PROFESSIONAL-TORCH-BLACK-MODEL-8407-/271049145445?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item3f1bc9bc65)
Graham
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Hi I use one of these they are extremely powerful.You can see through most things with it.
Sometimes I wonder if it's at all damaging to their eyes to be completely transfixed by light as it were. I guess not. Still, must be an odd experience for the chick, lol.
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Hi I use one of these they are extremely powerful.You can see through most things with it.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-LENSER-P7-PROFESSIONAL-TORCH-BLACK-MODEL-8407-/271049145445?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item3f1bc9bc65 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-LENSER-P7-PROFESSIONAL-TORCH-BLACK-MODEL-8407-/271049145445?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item3f1bc9bc65)
Graham
That's the same make as the head torch I use. Excellent kit.
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I've got a Brinsea too (mainly so that the torch is always to hand and where it should be!) but in the past have used any old strong torch with the beam directed through some sort of tube. Head torches with their adjustable beam are great for the job.
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I was given a tip last week to use my iPhone flash, I had been using a small LED torch which was OK but not brilliant. Just install the free FlashLight app - it makes an excellent candler!
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Hi I use one of these they are extremely powerful.You can see through most things with it.
Sometimes I wonder if it's at all damaging to their eyes to be completely transfixed by light as it were. I guess not. Still, must be an odd experience for the chick, lol.
Yes if you candle at certain critical points you can damage the eyesight and get blind or nearly blind birds. It doesn't happen often but it can. Just don't over candle. I normally only bother if I am short of incubator or hatcher space. If its close to hatch the float test is good, but I don't generally use it for Marans eggs as they are always drowning in shell anyway without adding extra moisture by soaking them :'(
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Hi I use one of these they are extremely powerful.You can see through most things with it.
Sometimes I wonder if it's at all damaging to their eyes to be completely transfixed by light as it were. I guess not. Still, must be an odd experience for the chick, lol.
Yes if you candle at certain critical points you can damage the eyesight and get blind or nearly blind birds. It doesn't happen often but it can. Just don't over candle. I normally only bother if I am short of incubator or hatcher space. If its close to hatch the float test is good, but I don't generally use it for Marans eggs as they are always drowning in shell anyway without adding extra moisture by soaking them :'(
Been using it for two or three years and haven't had a blind one yet so I think thats pretty unlikely.
Graham.
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Our candling torch is a Samsung Galaxy s2. It's fab!
Helen
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Well - we successfully candled the eggs on Saturday. They have been under the hen for seven days and they all had something in them although they were at slightly different stages of development........ but only slightly.
I was wanting to candle them again this weekend. Will that be too much candling do you think?
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we got a candler from ascott and its good, but it does get really hot so be careful.
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Hi,thats another big benefit of the LED they don't get hot at all.
I don't think candling them again will harm them,but I usually only candle mine once or maybe twice.On day nine there is no mistaking then weather or not an egg is fertile,I then throw out all the clear ones.
I sometimes candle again on day 18.
I didn't used to candle at all until I had a bad goose egg explode in the incy,what a mess.
Graham.
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I've candled loads in some cases - don''t think it does any harm unless the light heats them - it's just fascinating. I find the duck eggs much easier but then you can see them moving away from the light, you can chase them round the egg with the light (well nearly). Mind you, maybe that's why they still run away from me even though they've been hand reared!
Unborn babies also respond to bright lights shone from outside your tummy - and that doesn't blind them either. Skin and egg shell are both good forms of protection.
H