[suziequeue]

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?

[HesterF]

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

[chrismahon]

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.

[Moregin]

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!!

[suziequeue]

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.

[hughesy]

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.

[sh3ph3rd]

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.

[suziequeue]

Yes - we will be doing it at night when the hen is sleepy so perhaps the ova scope is slightly ova kill!

[HesterF]

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

[graham-j]

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

Graham

[sh3ph3rd]

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.

[hughesy]

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

Graham

That's the same make as the head torch I use. Excellent kit.

[OhLaLa]

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.
 
 

[HB]

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!

[darkbrowneggs]

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